Whatever doesn't kill you
by BehindTheRainbow
Summary: When all your life seems like a never-ending nightmare, maybe the only option left is to just wake up. Daryl and Carol AU story.
1. Carry that weight

I just came back from a working trip and even though I have a couple of FF to update, I wanted to start writing this. I want to thank Starbuck777 for giving me this idea. Even though I love reading non-AU stories, this one is an AU, like most of my FF, just because I feel more comfortable writing Carol and Daryl in AU territory. I try to keep them In Character as much as I can though. I have some things planned out for this one but I'm not 100% sure where is it going yet. All I know is Carol's relationship with Ed will play a big part in this one, so it might turn a little dark at times. I hope you like the first one anyway and reviews are always nice and encouraging! :)

Have the best of weekends!

S.-

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><p>Daryl let out a deep breath. Fewer things he hated more than going to the grocery store, or any store for that matter, and watch people walk away from him and give him odd looks. Apparently in this fucking city no one had to get his hands dirty for a living and they seemed to think guys like him were only allowed to spend their time working on their roofs. Otherwise, it was better to think they didn't exist.<p>

He shrugged and shoved his dirty hands in his pockets, figuring he'd at least make it quick. He thought about getting the hell out of the place and just ordering a pizza, but the truth was it wasn't only food he was needing. That he could provide himself, but his… house, if it could ever be called that, was screaming for him to clean it and he couldn't recall the last time he'd threw bleach or some shit like that in the bathroom. He couldn't say he gave a fuck, because he'd be lying. He couldn't say it didn't feel nice walking inside a clean, tidy house that smelt like flowers and all that shit, like most houses he worked in were like, but sometimes he just found no reason to do it, not when all that shit hole was was a place to lay down and get a few hours of sleep whenever he got back from work or from a hunting trip, or from the local bar; whenever he chose not to just grab the tent and sleep in the woods, which felt much nicer than his own place if he had to be honest.

So there he was standing in front of zillions of different cleaning products, each one with a specific label that made the task of grabbing the first one he ran into much more complicated. He sighed, his eyes travelling along the shelves in search for an universal one or something, and then he felt something hit him on one side. He was ready to curse and tell whoever decided to attack him with the shopping cart to fuck off, when he turned around and saw a tiny woman, who looked even smaller behind all the food and stuff that filled her cart.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't looking", the woman mumbled, her cheeks instantly turning red. Daryl looked at her up and down, pretty sure he had never seen the woman before, something about the way she was dressing making him curious. She looked almost like she belonged to a different time, with some sort of gray old lady skirt that went past below her knees, and a loose long sleeved light blue blouse. Her face features, though, were soft and delicate, and showed she couldn't be older than 40. He shook his head, attempting to stop staring, and fixed his eyes on her bright blue for a second.

"'s alrite", he growled, focusing back on the cleaning products in front of him. He saw her mirror him out of the corner of his eye, the sudden company making him uncomfortable.

"There's so many of them. And they claim to be all different when they all do the same", he heard her comment in a tired voice, probably more to herself than to him. Her words, though, made him chuckle, and if he'd been any more chatty he'd probably said he agreed, but he grabbed one instead, without even looking what the hell it was, and kept on walking down the cleaning corridor. He turned around, though, to give one last look to the strange woman who was still standing there, her hand on her chin, probably thinking about which product to take. She suddenly turned her head and gave him some sort of small smile. He frowned. This was probably part of the normal interaction in the supermarket, because people, everyone but him, always seemed to need to fill silence with random conversation. Well, at least she hadn't started to walk faster or given him some creepy look like other people did. That must have been what caught his attention to begin with.

Once he decided he'd spent enough time in the supermarket, even though he'd barely gotten everything he needed, he quickly walked to the cash register. They were all pretty full for a Sunday morning and he cursed and headed to the emptier one. Right before he got there, he saw the same woman who'd been talking to him position herself right ahead. Fuck his life. He couldn't believe it. She'd bought so many things it'd have been smart to use two carts, and now he'd have to wait forever to get the hell out of there. Surprisingly, she turned her head to look at him.

"Go ahead, I've got plenty of things", she told him, motioning with her hands for him to walk past her.

He watched her for a second, considering her offer, but for some reason he shook his head.

"'s alrite. Got no hurry", he murmured, and she gave him a confused look.

"You sure?" she insisted.

He just nodded and brought his thumb to his mouth, lifting his eyes to reassure her it was alright.

She was almost finished when he saw her bring her hands to her head.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry..", she said suddenly,

"Excuse me?" the cashier said.

"I just.. I forgot to pick something up, something very important… I'm so sorry, I can't believe I just forgot. Do you mind? It won't take me more than 10 seconds, I promise", she explained, her eyes drifting from the woman to Daryl.

"No big deal. Jus' huh, jus' go ahead", Daryl told her. He saw the young woman in the cash register laugh a little and give him a conspirational look, which he ignored. Maybe it'd have bothered him coming from anyone else, from fuckers who thought they could just make him wait because he was a damn redneck… but this woman, she seemed oblivious to his appearence, to his last name, and it made him feel strangely comfortable, like if they knew each other, although, once more, he was positive he'd never seen her before.

And when she finally got back, which actually didn't take her long, Daryl had to supress a laugh at the sight. Her arms were wrapped around two 12- packs of canned beer like her life depended on it. She certainly didn't look much like a drinker, but who was he to judge, he thought as he lifted his brows at her questioningly, but she just smiled nervously and started to pack her things.

5 minutes later he was inside his truck and ready to get the hell out of town straight to his place, which was far away and pretty near the woods, probably the only good thing about it. He started his truck and drove in a particularly good mood, thinking of the roasted chicken he was going to cook as soon as he got there. He drove a few blocks, his eyes covered by his sun glasses to avoid the summer Georgia sun, when something caught his attention. Something that had been catching his attention the whole damn morning actually.

"ya gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me", he said to himself as he slowed down, his eyes fixed on the small woman walking on the sidewalk, all her efforts apparently focused on carrying those 6 huge bags along, something Daryl was sure she wouldn't succeed in. He saw her drop half the bags to the floor with a frustrated expression, and he just couldn't help it.

"Ya ok over there?" he yelled from the truck, leaning his body over the window.

She jumped a little at the sudden sound, and turned her body to look at him.

"I'm fine", was all she said, benting down to pick up the bags.

He chuckled and stopped the car. Unless she lived right at the end of the street, there was no way she could be fine. Hell, he probably couldn't have carried those bags himself.

"Ain't look like it. Why dontcha jus' take a cab?" he asked her, lifting his sunglasses up.

"got no money for a cab", she told him, her arms tangling in a nest to keep the bags from falling again, which covered half her face so he could barely see her.

"Ya tellin' me ya bought all kind of shit back there yet ya ain't got money for a cab?" he asked curiously, his lips curling in a little smirk.

"Yes", she said simply.

"C'mon", he said, gesturing with his head for her to walk over. "I can give ya a ride, where ya live?"

"I said I'm fine!" she yelled back, and started to walk a few steps.

Daryl sighed. He didn't know much about this woman, but he could already say she was stubborn as hell. And he didn't know what drove him to help her either, probably just the sight of her having trouble and urge to take those things to wherever she was heading. Either way he got outside the track and walked to her.

"Jus' lemme help ya", he said, his voice coming out softly.

Her blue eyes narrowed as she stared at him, but she finally nodded and handed him one of the bags.

"It's fine, realy. I appreciate it though", she said once more, a soft smile playing on her lips as her eyes flicked all over his face.

They silently got inside the car, and Daryl was surprised by the fact she wasn't talking at all. Usually that was his role, being the silent one whoever he happened to be with.

"Ya never said where ya goin'.. kinda need ta know", he said after having driven for two minutes straight down the town's main road.

"Doesn't matter. Wherever you can leave me is closer than I was", she told him, and he snorted loudly.

"Ya makin' no damn sense ya know? I could turn right or left.. hell I could drive this road fer an hour or jus'take tha highway… how can any road lead ya closer? Ya got nowhere ta go?" he asked, amused, thinking this woman was by far the hardest person to figure out he'd ever met.

"About a mile down this road. You just leave me there. I'm going less than two blocks far from there", she commented, her voice calm and kind of absent.

"Well, alrite", he said, defeated, his fingers tapping the steering wheel a little impatiently.

"What's your name?" she asked all of a sudden, turning her head to look at him for the first time ever since they'd gotten inside the truck.

"Daryl".

"Daryl…", she repeated, staring at him. "I'm Carol".

"So ya throwin' a beer party today? Ya acted like it was a damn life or death issue, forgettin' yer beer cans", he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't one to ask so many questions but this woman was really bringing his curiosity up, and he felt the need to ask or say anything that might lead him to figure out more things about her.

"Believe me. It is.", she stated, her voice turning slightly somber. He turned his head and gave him a confused look.

"I'm walking from here", she added, and he just stopped the car, deciding he wouldn't push the conversation or insist any further. He looked around and spotted a dirt road that seemed to lead to a neighborhood, probably where she lived. It occured to him then it made sense she didn't want him to drive him straight to her house. She didn't know him, after all.

"Ya sure ya gonna be alrite?" he couldn't help but ask her. And he wasn't just asking about her carrying all those bags on her own. He felt there was something else. Maybe it was her eyes. Maybe they were kind of sad.

"Thank you, Daryl" she said, avoiding his question but smiling at him reassuringly, as if she could sense somehow his unspoken impressions about her. She opened the door, taking a minute to grab all her bags, and gave him one last look before closing it behind her quickly.

She stood next to the road and waved at him, and he got the feeling she didn't want him to watch the direction she was going. He started the car, scratching his chin as he drove, unable to stop thinking about this woman and their weird encounter.


	2. The devil beside you

As usual the first chapters come quickly. Hope you like it, tell me what you think! There are some things that will make more sense in the coming chapters, but I hope the insights are good.

Also, I want to warn you about physical and verbal violence in this chapter and probably in some of the coming chapters too, just in case you don't feel comfortable reading.

hugs!

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><p>Carol let out an exhausted breath and dropped the bags to the floor to search for the front door key. She got inside slowly, glad of not seeing the car parked in their frontyard yet. Ed hadn't slept there the night before. He'd left a message earlier in the morning claiming he was stuck at the office, something she knew wasn't true but she couldn't care less anyway. All she was worried about when it came to that was getting some disease. Other than that, those were her favourite days, and they'd became more frequent lately, something she prayed kept happening that way. She hummed as she cleaned the kitchen, her mind going back to the grocery store and the man she'd met there. She'd learnt, sometime ago, to hold to the little things. It was the only way of bearing it all, paying attention to the beautiful little details that if you were observant enough were actually all around, but which went unperceived by normal people, people who were busy living their own lifes, as good or bad as they might be. She tried to make sure each one of her days, which were usually filled with the same horrible things she simply couldn't get rid of, had some nice little thing she took to bed. It was her way of finding the strenght to want to wake up the next morning. And today, it had came pretty early in the morning in the form of a very attractive, rough around the edges guy. She'd never seen him before, which didn't mean anything since she barely went out and when she did, it was strictly to hit the grocery store or the local shopping center if she was lucky and Ed was in need of some clothes. It was all she did unless Ed went for a few days bussiness trip.<p>

She'd spotted him as soon as she got inside the supermarket and even though she hadn't gotten his face, those lean muscular arms his sleeveless shirt were showing caught her attention right away. And surprisingly she'd literally bumped into him a few minutes later and her mouth almost dropped open at the sight of his face. Liquid blue eyes staring questioningly at her, softening a little when she apologized, his features so gorgeous she felt a weird tingle on her stomach. That'd have been enough for her good memory of the day, only this time, it hadn't ended there but she'd kept running into him and he'd even offered to give her a ride. He'd seemed shy and a little awkward but there'd also been kidness in his silence, in his hesitant questions about this or that, his southern drawl making him even more attractive, and she'd had to swallow hard when she'd heard his last question. Was she going to be alright. That was something she always asked to herself. She didn't know the answer. Not yet anyway.

She fantasized with other men sometimes, in some sort of harmless game she played to get her mind away from her reality. And the only thing in common the men in her imagination and real life shared was they were all better than Ed, and even the worst scenario was better than her own. Because it wasn't about her deserving better. It was simply about no one deserving the life she was stuck in. She used to go out, whenever Ed wouldn't be in town for a couple of days, but no one really took the time to pay attention to her. She understood. She used to be a beautiful woman once, not the typical breath taking model or anything like that but she used to consider herself quite pretty with her curly dark hair, those bright blue eyes people always complimented and her thin frame which curved in all the right places. That is, before Ed, and stress, which were pretty much the same thing, made sure to take all of those things away. Each and every one of her good qualities. She used to be friendly and out-going, she used to love to laugh and now she simply didn't have the energy nor the reasons. All she was now was a ruined version of her old self. But this morning, when she'd met Daryl, like he'd said his name was, there had been that one element from her fantasies: he'd taken the time to take a second look, watch her deeply, and at some point she saw that concern in his eyes, that realization that something was wrong about her. It was pointless anyway, thinking about it, but it'd been nice, feeling someone cared about her, even if it'd just been for a few seconds.

"Where the fuck were you when I called, huh?" He said as soon as he opened the door, walking to her and roughly turning her around so that she faced him.

"It was 7 am when you called. I was.. I was sleeping", she answered, dropping her eyes to the floor.

"You sleep so much your ass keeps getting huge", he barked, searching through the shopping bags. "ya bought everything? People coming in 2 hours for lunch. You bring us the food and find yourself another place to eat, you hear me?! Don't you dare joining us"

"Yes Ed", she said, getting the meat out and putting it on a dish to prepare it.

"Where's the fucking ticket?" he growled, searching in her purse.

"Here. And here's the change", she said, searching inside her pocket.

"You fucking bitch, you was trying to hide it from me?!" he approached her and grabbed her arm, his nails digging in her skin. She swallowed hard. It'd been four days without any beatings and she'd been praying it kept that way. It seemed she wouldn't be that lucky.

"No, Ed.. no, I just put it in my pocket. I was going to give it to you", she said, her voice filling with that fear she despised.

He eyed her up and down, his eyes narrowed and the grip on her arm tightening so much it was starting to make her eyes watery. A few seconds later, though, he let go.

"Useless bitch", he muttered, heading to the stairs. "I'm wearing the blue shirt. Iron it, and it better be perfect or I'm fucking ironing your arm", he yelled.

"Yes, Ed", she yelled back, her hand going to cover the little wound he'd left on her arm.

She'd gotten used to this strange lunchs or dinners they had at their house sometimes. Ed claimed they were bussiness reunions but one look at half the guests and you could tell there was something else going on there. And it wasn't just becuase of those meetings. There was simply no way a sells man like Ed could have gotten so much money overnight, which allowed them to move one year ago from their simple one story house to this sort of mansion they now lived in. And Ed's clothes… she knew how expensive they were because she bought them herself, and all the furniture and the home theater, and his three cars… all those things that made people tell her how lucky she was to be married to a man like Ed. There'd been a couple of calls she'd answered herself too, a man's dark voice threatening to kill him, and she'd never told him nor dared to ask, wishing, deep inside, someone actually did it, but it'd also made her realize how dangerous the man she was married to was, and it'd made her just drop the idea of escaping some day. At least for the moment. But she was always preparing herself to do it, in all sorts of ways. It wasn't easy, not with him controlling every movement she made, but she managed to do some things that at least kept her hopes up. Drug dealing or gambling stuff, she suspected, because she knew he was a gambler himself, and the hidden drawer he probably thought she didn't know about kept filling with guns that scared the hell out of her. She knew he was capable of killing her, but if she had to be honest, the beatings scared her more than that. If he did kill her, at least it'd be over somehow, although she didn't want to die. Not under his hands. There was one important thing on her behalf: she wasn't dumb, not like Ed claimed she was. She was actually much smarter than he'd ever be, and she was aware of a lot of things she was sure he had no idea she actually did. She knew people would think she was an idiot for staying next to an evil man like him, but exactly because she wasn't, it was that she couldn't leave. Not yet. Not when he'd definitely find her and probably kill her right away. The day she did leave him, it was going to be for good. That day, she'd make sure he got what he deserved.

"Those smashed potatoes tasted like fuckin' baby food, you bitch! That was an important lunch back there, you fucking ruined it!" he yelled, walking inside the guests room were she'd been locked all day watching TV and sewing some of Ed's clothes.

She instinctively slided further into the bed, her eyes going wide at the knowledge of what was coming.

"I'm sorry Ed.. I did my best. I.. I thought it was good", she mumbled, watching him walk to her.

"Dog food, that's what you fucking fave us", he added, staring at her before his hand raised and slapped her face, the pain making her eyes close instantly.

"Look at me, bitch, or I'm going to drag your ass to the kitchen myself so that you clean all the mess you left there", he commanded, and she opened her eyes, swallowing hard to stop the tears for coming, which she knew only made it worse. She hadn't left no mess, but it was useless to tell him. She could smell the alcohol emanating from his body and she knew the best she could do was do as he said so that she stayed away from him for a while until he fell asleep like he usually did whenever he drunk that much.

She walked downstairs, letting the tears come now. If there existed any kind of crying award, she'd probably win it right away. It was then when she heard someone softly knocking at the door, and she knew who it was, and she couldn't be more glad to see him.

"Jesus.. not again… where is he?" the young man asked, his eyes full of concern, bringing his hand to her face to wipe the tears away.

"I'm alright, Glenn… it wasn't that bad this time… just, ya got it?" she asked him.

"Yes, here", he said, handing him a pack of birth control pills. She took two and and gave it back to him.

"I brought these plants too, just in case he asks. I'm going to be here first thing in the morning anyway… you been alright this weekend?" he put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her.

"Yes.. he's hardly been around. And it seems he dropped the idea of.. at least for now. I mean, after surgery and all… he barely.. you know.. he barely insists we do it… I can't take any risk anyway. But Glenn.. if he ever finds out.." she noticed her voice was trembling, and she didn't know why. Just a slap on her face wasn't really a big deal for her anymore.

"Carol, listen to me. He won't, alright? He won't find out. You know you're the only reason I don't quit, you know we'll find a way out of this. Just don't worry about me, he doesn't suspect a thing. He's a damn dumbass", he lifted her chin and smiled at her reassuringly, and she pulled him for a quick hug.

"Thank you.. Glenn, thank you so much", she told him as she let go of him.

"Nothing to thank me for. Just stay safe", he added, giving her one last look.


	3. Far from home

This 2014 is crazy and I haven't had the time to sit and write... but it finally happened!

thanks for your reviews and your encouragement. I know it might be a little confusing at first but it will start making sense as we move on.

Have a nice week and hopefully we'll see Carol next sunday (I believe we will)!

Hugs!

S.-

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><p>"Tha fuck gotcha so grumpy Darylina? Thought it was you who fuckin' suggested gettin' a couple 'f drinks", Merle asked him, amused, his left hand tangled in Andrea's blonde hair.<p>

Daryl rolled his eyes. " jus' cuz she can drag yer ass whereva tha hell she wants don't mean she gotta drag mine too", he barked, although he couldn't hide the smirk spreading on his lips.

Ever since Merle and Andrea started to…frequent each other, because he didn't know how else to call it and his brother certainly didn't put any labels on their relationship, he'd had fun teasing him about it. It'd always been the other way around, which was exactly why he enjoyed it so much. He'd call him a henpecked just to watch him freak out, even when he liked Andrea, all things considered, and he had to give the woman some credit too. It wasn't every day his brother spent so much time with the same woman, hell, he couldn't recall that happening… not even once… and he had to admit the woman had changed him, in a good way though. He barely saw Merle lately because he spent most of the time in her house, not that he minded anyway, but it seemed he'd finally quit the drugs, most of them at least, and he'd stopped being the type of guy who was looking for trouble all the time. It was probably just a phase, because he simply couldn't imagine his brother settling down, but maybe the fact that Jack wasn't around anymore, and for good, he hoped, had released his brother too, made him realize he didn't necessarily have to be a complete asshole like their dad was.

"Come on Daryl.. just 20 miles from town, it isn't that far. I was just tired of seeing the same people whenever I go out… weren't you tired of little Green girl eye fucking you every single Friday? Plus, this place is just nicer" Andrea said, and Merle let out a loud laugh.

"Jesus, Andrea, kid ain't more than 17. Bet she don' even know the fuck tha word means", he answered, shaking his head in dissaproval. He couldn't recall how long the two had been dating for, but Andrea'd definitely turned into some sort of female version of Merle, and that was weird to say the least. It could also be pretty annoying.

"Tha way she stares atcha makes me think girl knows plenty 'bout it", Merle teased him, winking at Andrea.

"Shut up Merle. Both of ya. Thought ya guys came 'ere not ta talk 'bout tha same ol' shit".

Daryl leaned against his chair, deciding to quit listening to their uninteresting conversation, his eyes absently scanning the place. He didn't understand what it was that Andrea found nicer or even different about it. It was dark, crowded and it smelt like junk food and liquor just like any night bar. The people… yeah, nobody sounded famiiar to him, but they looked exactly the way people who went to those bars did, and he didn't have the slightest of interests in getting to know any of them. At least he didn't have to waste his time chitchatting with the regulars back home, like the Green sisters or that corean dude who dated the older one. He seemed nice enough now that he thought about it though. Merle of course wasn't too fond of him, probably just because the guy was asian. He hoped Andrea changed that too.

He lighted a cigarrete, his eyes fixed on the front door, the smoke merging into the crowd that went in and out the place, when someone caught his attention. It'd been her hair first. Not many women had their hair short, her silver locks unnoticeable in the distance but her eyes wide and as blue as he remembered them, and they sparkled, even in the distance, the same way he'd noticed they did that day.

"Shit!", he couldn't help but spat, Merle and Andrea instantly dropping the conversation and looking at him. He sunk on his seat, hoping she didn't approach them or anything. Hell, she probably wouldn't remember him to begin with.

"What is it Daryl?" Andrea asked him, following his eyes with her gaze.

"Nothin'. I jus'.. huh, I think I left tha damn door unlocked", he mumbled, dropping his gaze to the table.

Merle and Andrea looked at each other and then back at him.

"You sure you're alright? I was talking to you, seconds ago, was telling you we are leaving soon", Andrea spoke again. "We can check your door if you want".

Daryl tried to focus on her, although his eyes kept lifting to search for the woman. He finally shook his head.

"Ya leavin?" he did his best to try to sound dissapointed. "Alrite… go ahead, I ain't gonna leave jus' yet. Came this far, might as well jus' stay fer a while".

"Someone caught yer attention, lil' brotha?" Merle asked him. Jesus. He could never escape Merle.

"Hell no. Jus' go ahead, bet ya got better shit ta do", he said impatiently.

"Damn straight we do", Merle said as he stood up, pulling Andrea along with him. She waved at Daryl and he watched them, relieved, as they walked through the front door.

Daryl let out a breath he realized he'd been holding. For some reason it would have made him nervous having to explain them where he knew the woman from. He wasn't sure why, because it hadn't really been anything important, but ever since he gave her that ride, he found himself frequently thinking about her, wondering, as a matter of fact, if he'd ever run into her again.

He stayed on his seat for a few minutes, absently rubbing the glass with his fingers, thinking if she actually remembered him to begin with. He quickly glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, turning his head to openly stare at her once he saw her sitting by the bar, her back to him. He watched her say something to the bartender who smiled at her and handed her a glass of what looked like whiskey, from which she took a small sip. He wouldn't have taken her for a whiskey drinker, nor for the kind of woman who'd show up to a bar like this. Then again, he knew nothing about her, and he found himself chuckling at the realization of being judging her by her overall appearence when that was exactly what he criticized the most about people.

It hadn't been a premeditated decision, not really, but he suddenly found himself standing up and heading to the bar with the lame excuse of getting a drink quicker than he would have if he'd ordered it from his seat. He lighted a cigarrete in his way, his eyes fixed on her back, focusing on looking everywhere but in her direction once he reached the bar.

"Huh, whiskey shot please", he muttered to the bartender, a glass filled with whiskey instantly appearing in front of him.

He heard her clear her throat, and out of the corner of his eye he watched her turn her head to fully look at him. Her skin looked even paler in the darkness of the place, almost glowing, her blue eyes brighter now that they were so close. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, ready to turn around and just leave, when he heard her speak.

"Daryl?" she asked softly. So she remembered his name, apparently.

"Hey", was all he said, his face turning red the second he turned around to face her. He didn't know what to do with himself so he took the glass and drank all its content, his throat burning as the whiskey went down.

"You remember me? from the supermarket... some time ago? You helped me with my bags", she started to explain.

He chuckled.

"Yeah.. I remember ya, woulda ask ya how ya knew my name otherwise", he told her, his eyes lingering on her face for a while before he dropped them to the floor.

"Good point", she said, laughing a little. She pointed to her empty glass and looked at him. "Want another? I owe you, for helping me the other day".

Her offer took him by surprise so he just nodded, biting his thumb nail as he watched her gesture to the bartender for their drinks.

"So whatcha doin' ere anyway? didn' take ya fer a whiskey drinker", he asked her, in lack of a better question.

She frowned, her eyes narrowing in a way he thought was cute. "What you mean?" she asked him back, and he found himself frowning as well, confused by her question. Hell, this woman seemed to confuse him all the time.

"Nothin'.. I mean, was jus' askin' why ya came 'ere, it's kinda far from town and it ain't every day ya see a woman havin' whiskey on 'er own, 's all", he offered, feeling his face burning red again.

She gave him what he thought was a defiant smile, and tilted her head. "That is kind of sexist, you know? you're having whiskey on your own, so why can't I?".

"Fair 'nough", he mumbled, his mouth curling in a smirk. If he hadn't known himself better, he would have said he was flirting with the woman, a woman he barely knew but that somehow he felt drawned into, and that wasn't a common word in Daryl's vocabulary, which was why he recognized the feeling so clearly, even when he didn't know what to do with it.

"I don't have many friends", she said suddenly, and he lifted his head to look back at her.

"wha'?" he asked, partly because he hadn't heard her well, with the loud music and the people talking and all.

"Part of the answer to your question. I'm here sitting on my own because I don't have many friends", she said simply.

"Can't hear shit wit' tha loud music an' all.. I was sittin' back there 'fore.. I, huh.. ya could come sit there if ya want". He stumbled over his words, and he was pretty sure his face was fiercely red again, but when he found the courage to look at her she was giving him that soft smile, her eyes locked with his and an intoxicating blue.

"Sure", she said, and she stood up to follow him.

On his short way to the table, Daryl tried to figure out what the hell he was doing. It might have been the whiskey because he had the feeling he couldn't think straight. All he knew was he usually didn't give a shit about anyone, and now there he was asking a woman he barely knew to join hm on the table. Maybe he simply felt attracted to her, could that be it?

"So you're a regular here?" she asked him once they sat down, and he thought her eyes were mirroring the same doubts he was dealing with himself, although he couldn't be sure, the expression in those eyes changing every second, making him wonder what she was thinking all the time. Maybe she was questioning herself for sitting with him too. She definitely didn't look like a woman who'd want his company.

"Naw.. not really. Too damn far away... there's plenty 'f places exactly like this one an' closer ta home", he answered.

"Maybe that´s what people want sometimes, going far away", she said, her voice low.

"From what?" he asked, leaning slightly over the table.

"I don't know, I'm just saying", she said then, taking a sip from her beer and waving her hand on the air, a little laugh escaping her lips.

"Yeah, maybe", he agreed. Hell he knew about wanting to be as far as he could from home. It just luckily hadn't been like that for a while now for him.

"Speaking of which, I should probably get going", she said, checking the hour on a delicate watch on her right wrist. "yes, I gotta go", she repeated, sounding suddenly a little concerned.

"Why? Thought ya jus' got 'ere" he asked her, and he couldn't help but feeling a little annoyed. It had been interesting at first, all that mistery going on about her. Now it was starting to get on his nerves.

"I just have to", she said simply. "I'd rather stay, though, just so you know", she added, locking her eyes with his.

"ya sayin' ya got somewhere else ta be at 1 in the morning? Ain't buyin' it", he insisted. And as he watched her lift her brows, he couldn't believe he was acting like this. She was probably leaving because he'd scared the shit out of her with all his questions.

"I didn't say I had anywhere to be. I just said I had to leave", she answered, and he hated how she managed to avoid his questions, yet pretend she was actually answering him. He thought about telling her to fuck herself, but he instantly suppressed it. He still didn't know why, but he sensed he had to follow her lead.

"Well I know ya got no reason ta trust me, but I can drive ya home if ya want.. or whereva ya goin'. Got nothin' better ta do anyway". He decided that was the last thing he was going to say to her, ever. Whether she accepted the offer or not.

She stood up slowly and walked to him, an hesitant hand landing on his shoulder. He flinched at first, unused to the sudden touch, but didn't push her hand away.

"Believe me, it isn't you I don't trust", her eyes lingered on his face for a few seconds, and then she dropped her hand from his shoulder. "I come here every two Fridays or so... whenever I can. I might be here next Friday", she said quickly before turning around and walking to the bar's door.


	4. Gust

This took me too long, way too long, like everything lately, but finally I got it!  
>I had to Split it up in two because it was kind of long, so the next one should come out pretty son, no longer than sunday!<br>hope you like this so far, and thanks for R&R!

Hugs!

S.-

* * *

><p>Daryl woke up to the sound of the rain hitting the roof, and cursed loudly. He knew that meant he didn't have to go to work, but oddly enough, that was exactly what he didn't like about it. What else was he going to do anyway? It wasn't like he could go hunting with a storm like that, and he didn't even have a TV in his one room apartment. Not that he was a TV fan anyway.<p>

It wouldn't have bothered him that much if it had been a different it was Friday again and he'd been thinking the whole night about going to that distant bar or just forgetting about it. He wasn't even sure if she'd actually meant to invite him or if she'd just said it to keep him from asking her any more questions. It's not that she'd insisted he should go and he wasn't good at figuring out those kind of things in general, nor a single thing coming from that woman in particular. Recalling her exact words, she hadn't even assured him she was going to be there. Well, at least if he did indeed show up and she never did, he could still have a few beers while he felt like an idiot with no one's eyes stuck on him. That place was too far away for anybody in town to be there, and he sensed that was one of the reasons why she frequented it.

What if she did show up though? Did she want the company, someone to chat with while she hid from who knows what? Did she feel attracted to him, somehow? Some women did, after all… He'd be lying if he said he never noticed it. Might be his rough appearence, his last name maybe, or the fact that some of them seemed to like the rough type, because there was no other way of explaining why Merle had so many of them around him all the time, for instance. And even when he never looked for it, like Merle always did, sometimes he'd take it when the opportunity showed up. More than once he'd found himself going for it just to shut Merle's mouth, so that he quitted calling him a pussy whenever a woman threw herself at him and he just ignored her. Other times he'd just been so drunk it'd happened out of an instinctive reaction of his body, but most of the time it simply wasn't in his list of priorities, didn't even cross his mind at all, just one other thing that made him so different from the average 34 year old guy. Him being so different might have actually been the reason she caught his attention to begin with. He knew Merle wouldn't even bother to give that woman a second look, and not because she wasn't pretty, because she actually was, once you fully looked at her, but her corporal language and the way she dressed… it made him think of an intention of remaining unnoticed. The thing was… he was a tracker so his eyes were trained to find things where other people thought there was nothing to be seen. And he was a good one too. That was how he could tell there was something going on with that woman. What he didn't know, though, was why he cared about it.

He stretched and got up. He wasn't going to spend all day locked in there. He decided to pass by the office, check where they'd be working on Monday, maybe visit Andrea too and invite himself for lunch at her… their... place. They'd have never met if it hadn't beenfor him and Andrea working in the same place, and Merle wouldn't have gotten a job there either. So they kind of owed him, and he didn't feel like cooking. Not that he had anything to cook anyway. He realized then he should probably go to that store, buy himself some food, his mind instantly going to Carol and the day he saw her there. Damnit. He could go to that bar, have a few drinks, reveal whatever mistery kept him thinking so much about it all. That was going to be it.

* * *

><p>"I was so glad to hear it Carol, I just had to come visit you", Glenn said, clearly excited, standing up to get the two mugs of coffee she'd just made and bringing them to the table.<p>

Carol looked at him and chuckled. She was as happy as he was about Ed's three days trip. Deep inside though she felt it was actually depressing how her happyness has been reduced to him leaving her alone for three days. She shook her head, deciding not to overthink it. This little trips had became more frequent lately and all she could do was hope they kept coming and enjoy them while they lasted. It was good news, all things considered, and the worst thing she could do was spending those three days crying and feeling sorry for herself and her miserable life, like she already did every other day.

Glenn might have read her mind because he leaned forward, placing his hand over hers.

"I know, alright? But at least it's something", he said, watching her carefully, and she just waved her hand and smiled at him again.

"No, come on!" she said cheerfully. "He's gone for three days, we won't sit here and talk about him, that's not happening. Let's talk about random things, nice things, let's talk about that girl of yours", she added, winking at him.

Glenn snickered and looked down, unable to hide his huge smirk. "Well…we see each other… like... pretty much every day..". He lifted his eyes and looked at her, the smirk still plastered on his face. "I mean, can you believe it, Carol? Maggie Green?"

Carol let out a loud laugh, just the sound of her own laughter filling the air comforting and warming her.

"Well, I don't actually know her.. she does sound like a nice girl though. All I know is, it's just contagious, seeing you like this", she told him, smiling along with him.

"No, I mean.. Carol.. you don't understand! She's gorgeous… and smart, and she's nice and she's got spark and I.. I deliver pizza and work on a couple of gardens, you know?!" He didn't sound worried actually, just simply thrilled.

"So? You're a wonderful guy, Glenn, you don't deserve less", she told him simply.

"Of course I do! Not that I'm complaining though!" Glenn told her, both their laughters coming out again.

"You know.. I.." she started saying. She realized that for some reason she was going to tell him about that guy, Daryl, but she quickly changed her mind. There was really nothing to say about it, but she'd been thinking about the man so much she'd felt for a second the need to mention it.

"What?" he heard Glenn ask. She'd actually forgotten she'd started to say something and he was probably expecting her to finish it.

"I'm going out tonight", she stated, figuring she'd never told Glenn about her little sneak outs after all, and she knew that even when he did like gossiping, which was pretty funny for a guy, he'd never say a word when it came to her and Ed.

"Really? Carol, that's awesome! Where are you going to? And who with? I mean.. cause you shouldn't go alone, you know? probably not to the local places either… everyone in there knows Ed..". Carol chuckled, appreciating his concern, but she thought he should know better by now.

"It's actually not the first time I do it", she told him, blushing for some reason. "I found a bar, some miles down the highway to Atlanta.. it isn't that bad, and it isn't easy to get there, so there is no way to run into anyone who knows me, or him…" she said in a low voice.

Glenn looked at her and smirk. "And you never told me about it?! So you just go there.. on your own? Met anyone interesting in there?"

She stood in silence for a second, and quickly shook her head.

"Of course not, Glenn! That's not what I go there for... and yes, I go on my own... it's still good though, feeling I actually get to do things normal people do, even if it's just for the night". Her voice saddened but she quickly dismissed all the sad thoughts, which tended to emerge whenever she was alone, just because she was too busy being scared to feel sad about it all when Ed was around.

And it was true. She didn't think about meeting someone, neither was that a reason why she went out. Yes, she fantazied about it, but that was as far as she went. She knew there was no way she could drag anyone into her life, put them in danger. She knew it just couldn't be worth it. _She _just couldn't be worth it. Not anymore. She was uninteresting, she didn't do anything other than being married to an asshole, and she wasn't half as pretty as she used to be. Glenn kept telling her otherwise… he actually kept saying it could be some sort of solution, or salvation… but she just didn't agree. She didn't want anyone to save her, not when she couldn't do it herself. She had to admit, though, she did hope to see that man tonight. She doubted he was going to show up though. It's not that she'd explicitly asked him to do it, but even if he did, she didn't have any further expectations than just maybe sitting with him for a while. Just a simple distraction. A very nice looking one too.

"Carol?!" Once again she'd been so lost thinking she hadn't heard Glenn.

"I'm sorry", she said, chuckling. "just got lost thinking", she added, standing up to put the mugs on the sink.

"'bout your little night out?" he asked her, smirking.

She turned around and rolled her eyes. "Glenn! Don't make me regret telling you!"

And they both laughed. It was a good day so far.


	5. Trust your gut

Finally I got this one out! it's been half written for a while :)

I hope you like it and you don't find the pace of this story right... thanks for R&R and may I just add I feel the Caryl encounter in TWD is coming soon!

hugs! have a nice week.

S.-

* * *

><p>Andrea lifted her eyes the second she heard someone get inside her office, taking her reading glasses off when she saw Daryl, a little smile playing on her face.<p>

"Trying to win the best employee of the year award?" she asked him, chuckling. It wasn't the first time he showed up on a rainy day, and she thought it was kind of cute. It reminded her of those little kids who got all moody when it rained because they couldn't go out and play or something.

Daryl shrugged, glancing around before he took a seat in front of her.

"Got nothin' better ta do, figured ya migh' be needin' some help over 'ere… where's Merle?" he asked, just to engage some sort of conversation because he suspected he already knew the answer.

"Are you kidding me?" Andrea asked him, leaving her pen aside. "He's sleeping, of course…"

Daryl chuckled. "Yea, figured".

They stood in silence for a few minutes while Andrea wrote what looked like some numbers on a spreadsheet and Daryl smoked, absently looking by the window. He'd been working there for a few years now, probably around 3 or 4, and he'd always liked it, mostly because they'd always treated him right there. It was a construction company that was first owned by Henry, Andrea's dad, who'd passed away 1 year ago and Daryl had felt really sorry for that. He was a good man, one of the best men he ever knew, those kind of men he'd always wished his own father had been like. He'd died abruptly and unexpectedly, leaving the company with no one to run it, and Andrea, who hadn't been an arquitect just yet, had had to take charge. She'd managed to do it just fine, actually, even when she'd been depressed and still graving her father, and soon enough she graduated, her pain turning into the obsession to do things exactly the way her father would have wanted her to do them. Daryl knew her old man would be proud of her and of the way she handled everything, even when he'd probably never tell that to her.

Andrea wasn't the typical arquitect either. There was no way she'd be seeing a guy like Merle if she was. She had a sophisticated, professional side but she was fun and she enjoyed spending time with the whole bunch of guys who worked with her just like if she'd been one of them. Maybe she just didn't have any other option, but she seemed to be more than alright with it. And she seemed to really like his brother too, even when Daryl would never understand what was it that she saw in him.

"So, what are you up to tonight?" she asked him, leaving her work aside for a while.

Daryl shrugged again, and cleared his throat to try to sound convincing.

"Nothin' special.. jus' stayin' home. Don' feel like doin' anythin' with tha damn weather like this".

Andrea looked outside and nodded. "Yeah, I hear ya… shitty day. Well, you can always come with us", she said.

"Where ya guys goin?" he silently prayed she didn't tell him they were going to the same bar, even when he highly doubted it.

Andrea snickered and handed him what looked like two tickets of something. He took them and then looked back at her, frowning in desbelief.

"Ya takin' Merle to tha fuckin' movies?" he let out a laugh. "Jesus, ya gotta be kiddin' me".

Andrea laughed along with him. "Turns out your brother is pretty easy to convince. I just promised him great sex afterwards and that was it". She watched Daryl's expression and laughed again.

"Jesus, ain't need ta know tha'", Daryl mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"We can always make it a double date, you know? I can call a friend for you right away". She risked lifting her eyes and looking at him, even when she already knew the answer and the expression he would be making.

"Hell no. Rather stay home lookin' at tha fuckin' ceilin'. Won't say no ta lunch though"

* * *

><p>Carol walked inside the bar, noticing it was less crowded than the other day, probably because of the rain. She'd figured 11 pm was a good time to get there: not too early, not too late as for him having left already, but it seemed like he wasn't there, at least not yet. She took a seat at one of the tables in the corner of the room, and ordered a beer when the waitress approached her. It didn't matter if he never came. She was ok on her own anyway. She still felt anxious though and she couldn't help lifting her eyes and glancing at the door every ten seconds, a mixture of frustration and relieve taking her over as time passed by and she didn't spot him.<p>

She'd gone through all her clothes trying to find something that looked more or less decent, even when that word could hardly be used to describe her outfits. It's not that she didn't like nice clothes that fit her well; it's just that she'd stopped using them so that Ed wouldn't complain, call her a whore, and a long list of etceteras. She'd found, however, a black tank top that wasn't too bad, just a little too worn, and a pair of simple blue jeans. The purple jacket wasn't much to look at, but she had to put it on since it was rainy and all. She owned no make-up, not that she was a big fan of it anyway, but she'd smiled when she'd looked at herself in the mirror, thinking it'd been a while her reflection showed no bruises, no black eye, no baggy clothes that barely held onto her body.

Just when she was starting her second beer, she saw him get in. And she had to swallow hard at the sight of him, wet locks of hair falling all over his forehead, which he wiped off with his hand as his eyes scanned the place. They finally locked with hers and he nodded shyly to her and started walking towards her right away. Judging by the two other times she'd seen him, it looked like he'd also dressed up a bit, with that pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt that looked nothing like the working clothes she'd seen him with before. It made her feel more confident, all of a sudden, and she couldn't help but smile. She knew this was nothing, and it probably meant nothing either, but the whole situation just felt nice. A little weird, but nice anyway.

She took a sip of her beer and looked up at him.

"So I take it you liked this place", she told him, her smile fading a little as she felt herself grow nervous over having him so close.

She saw him shrug, his feet shifting umcomfortably as he just stood there.

"'s' alrite.. just as good as any", he said, looking at the only chair next to her and glancing quickly at her before sitting down.

"Well, I'm glad you came", she commented, in lack of other thing to say.

He ordered a beer and they sat in silence for a couple of minutes, the time it took him to drink it all. She thought for such a good looking guy he was pretty shy and awkward, and it seemed he just wasn't used to sitting with someone and having a conversation. Maybe that could annoy most people, but it strangely made her feel more comfortable, more at ease than if she had been sitting with a charming, outgoing guy.

"So why is it that ya always come 'ere anyway? Ya don' live nearby do ya?" he finally spoke.

She smiled and took a sip of her beer, trying to avoid his eyes and to make her voice sound as casual as possible. "No specific reason, really. I just.. I don't know, I like it here".

He glanced around, his eyes fixing on hers again, and he brought his thumb to his mouth, tilting his head as he openly chewed on his nail, the action making his eyes lift up in a way she found cute.

"Sounds pretty standard ta me. ' least there ain't tha usual people ya see every damn day in Senoia, I'll give ya that", he said, dropping his hand to the table.

"Is that a good thing?" she asked him, relieved to change the subject for a while.

"It is ta me", he said simply, raising his arm up and motioning for the waitress to bring him another beer.

She saw him stare at her wrist and she frowned, looking at it herself. Next to the watch Ed had once given to her was a faded bruise she'd gotten two or three weeks ago, when he'd dragged her down the stairs. It was barely there, but it was undoubdtely it he was looking at. She blushed and he must have noticed it, because he dropped his gaze. He didn't say anything though and she hurried to say something.

"What's wrong with the people in Senoia?" she asked quickly.

"What happened to yer wrist?" he asked her back.

"Nothing. I… I fell, down the stairs", she answered sharply. She definitely hadn't gone there to be reminded of her awful life back home, and for the first time in the night, she thought about leaving.

"Ain't nothin' wrong wit' em, other than 'em thinkin' there's somethin' wrong wit' me", he said instead.

She forgot about how annoyed she'd been just a second ago, and dared looking at him again. "Why would they think that?" she asked curiously.

He chuckled and leaned further against his chair, handing her his bottle of beer. "Hell I dunno. My last name most likely.. prob'ly how I look too.. not tha' I give a fuck 'bout it though.. 's jus' pretty fuckin' funny havin' everyone's damn eyes on me, waitin' fer the moment I crush a bottle against someone's head or somethin'". He let out a small laugh, the first she'd heard coming from him.

Carol's eyes went wide, not precisely amused by what he'd just told her. She thought he didn't look like one of those guys who were just trouble wherever they went, even when he did look a little rough around the edges. And she trusted her gut, her first impressions about people. If she'd only trusted it a few years ago...

"You don't… I don't think you're like that", she found herself saying it aloud.

His half smile took her by surprise, and the way he quickly tried to hide it. She found herself smiling back at him, all different kind of thoughts she couldn't tell were completely wrong or the rightest ones she'd ever had, coming to her mind. And she felt it didn't matter anymore asking herself what a gorgeous man like him was doing sitting right there in front of her… it didn't matter what he could possibly find interesting about her. After all, she knew how distorted her opinion about herself had gotten to be. And it didn't matter, because it just seemed to be the way it was. So maybe she should trust her instincts this time, even when it scared her where that could lead.


	6. Surreal

I'm back to this story guys, after a bad combination of lots of work, travelling and "writers" block or something. I really like the possibilities for this one, I was just stuck in this chapter and I finally got something out.

I hope you like it, and let me know what you think!

Have a nice weekend!

S.- 

* * *

><p>"You didn't mention where do you work, did you? Cause if you did, I totally forgot", Carol said with a giggle. It hadn't taken her too many beers to start feeling a little dizzy, but in a good way; in such a good way she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so relaxed and confident, even, and she figured since he drank two or three times faster than she did, he had to be reaching that point too.<p>

"Ya didn' ask…" he just said, his eyes way brighter than they'd been an hour ago, and even when he was kind of hard to read, Carol thought it looked like he was having a good time too.

"I think I just asked you", she replied, bringing her hands to her chin and nodding in a motion for him to speak.

"Construction"… he said finally. "Nothin' too special really.. jus' buildin' stuff, fixin' cielings, whateva needs ta be done I guess", he added, shrugging.

"That's interesting", she told him, maybe a little too enthusiastically because he raised his brows and let out a snort.

"Interestin'? hell… if ya say so…", he said, amused. "Whatcha do anyway?"

"You've always worked in construction?" she asked nervously and almost at the same time.

He leaned back on his chair and scratched his head. "Reckon I've worked in a lotta things really... guess this is tha firs'… huh... stable job I got".

"If that's how you've gotten those arms, then I think it's very interesting", she heard herself say, regretting it the minute the words left her mouth. She watched him smile slightly, his whole face burning red, and he dropped his head down but lifted his eyes to look at her a few seconds later. The fact he was so shy made him ten thousand times more attractive somehow, and it made her feel something strange, something she wasn't used to feeling. It made her feel more in control.

"Ya didn' tell me whatcha do", he repeated, and all the alcohol she'd drank wasn't enough to stop her from feeling her stomach clench. She didn't want to lie to him; then again, she was already lying about too many things.

"I.. huh, it's really the most uninteresting thing in the world"… she muttered, avoiding his gaze.

"I never thought jobs gotta be interestin'… they jus' gotta pay tha bills", he said matter of factly.

"Well, I work from my house", she said, hoping it'd give her some time to make something up.

He titled his head and raised one brow, and she sensed he knew she was lying to him. "ya work from yer house.. doin' what?" he asked again.

"huh.. kids. I look after kids…", she bursted out, still not daring to see his reaction. "I've always wanted to be a teacher" -at least that was partially true, she thought- "but then, huh, things happened, and I just couldn't do it so… I figured that was the closest it got".

"Well, tha's alrite.. 's a job as good as any", he commented, and she silently thanked the topic seemed to be over for now. She took a long sip from her beer, hoping it'd make the guilt feelings vanish, and somehow it did.

"looks like ya don' like talkin' bout yerself", he commented then, taking her glass and filling it once more.

She shrugged, not knowing how to answer to that statement without having to be honest.

"What if I don't?" she said simply.

He chuckled. "Thing is.. I don' either.. so I'm usually tha silent one while whoever I'm wit' does all tha talkin'…feels kinda strange, havin' ta take tha lead". He smiled sheepishly and took a long drink from his glass.

"A bad kind of strange?" she asked, leaning slightly over the table.

"A good kinda strange, jus' like this whole thing", he admitted, his confession taking her by surprise. Because she'd figured that at this point there had to be something about her he liked, otherwise he wouldn't have shown up for the second time in the week, but it was the first time he actually said it out loud, and it got her shivering. It got her thinking that if she wanted, she could leave the bar with him, kiss him, sleep with him… it got her feeling that rare sensation of freedom.

"Do you think…" she started, the words coming out clumsily than she'd have wanted, "do you think we should leave?" Her eyes were fixed on the table as the words came out but she dared taking a glance at him, his hands gripping the side of the table as he nervously shifted on his chair.

"Ya wanna leave already?" he asked, and she laughed a little at how he'd avoided her question.

"If you want to…" she said shily, finishing her beer and putting her glass aside.

"Hell, we can leave if ya want…" he stated, and she recognized the anxiety in his voice. "I… huh, I got ma bike outside.. ya came in yer car?" he asked as he stood up.

"I've got no car…", she told him as they walked outside.

"Alrite, bike it is.. " he said, gesturing the way they should go, and she could tell he was trying hard not to show he was actually nervous. He stopped right next to what she thought was a pretty cool bike, even when she had no idea about them whatsoever.

"Is this your bike?" she asked without thinking. It had to be, unless he'd decided to steal someone's bike. She laughed at her own question.

"Sort 'f. I share it wit' my brotha. Here, put this on", he said again, handing her a helmet, and she obliged.

"You have another one?" she asked him, helmet on her head. He chuckled and she mirrored him, thinking she probably looked ridiculous with the thing on.

"Hell, damn thing's too big fer ya... ain't got anotha one, but as long as we don' run into 'em cops we're good", he said, jumping on the bike and gesturing with his head for her to hop on.

And as he turned the bike on and she wrapped her arms around his waist, she felt everything become surreal, like part of the dreams she sometimes had about leaving Ed, because they usually involved the night, the speed, the lights of the city fading away. Sometimes, too, they involved a hot looking guy she was running away with.

As soon as she focused on the feeling of his flat stomach under her hands, though, the sensation of freedom started to slowly be replaced by something else, something she barely recognized, since it'd been so long since the last time she felt it, her whole body turning warmer despite the chilly air, her hands pressing harder against his stomach, her upper body leaning forward until it bumped into his back. She watched him slightly turn his head.

"Ya didn' tell me where ya wanna go", he yelled as he drove down the highway, but she sensed he'd already figured where it was that she wanted him to take her.

"Um, to your place maybe, if that's ok?" she suggested a little more confidently now that she couldn't see him.

He didn't say anything, but soon enough they left the highway and took a turn to the right, and she spotted a neighborwood full of three floored apartments. She'd never been there before, but she noticed it was pretty far away from Ed's house, so she relaxed. Not that anyone would recognize her with that big helmet on her head anyway.

He stopped the bike and got off it, stepping forward and taking her helmet off.

"Alrite, this is me", he said, and a wave of nervousness hit her as she started to become self conscious about the whole situation. "C'mon", he said again. "It's fuckin' cold in 'ere".


	7. Stay

another chapter for you, hope you like it! tell me what you think!

have a great week too :)

S.-

* * *

><p>7.<p>

Daryl felt the night events had been a little overwhelming for him and his usually uneventful life, and he couldn't say for sure how it was that he'd ended up standing in his front yard with a woman he barely knew behind him. And it's not that he'd never taken women to his place before; it was that all those times, it'd always kind of just happened and he'd never really had any bond with them as to care about them in any way, nor as to even consider the possibility of seeing them again. But he'd willingily shown in that bar tonight, looking for her, knowing he'd find her there, and even when he didn't think it was _this _what he had in mind or what he was expecting, the second she'd suggested they left the bar, he realized that was exactly what he wanted too.

"It ain't nothin' nice ta look at", he told her over his shouder as he fumbled with the keys, feeling the liquid courage slowy erase, replaced by a thousand of different concerns, from her realizing he was a good for nothing son of a bitch as soon as she saw his place, to Merle showing up in the middle of the night. At least he was positive he had a few beers…. and condoms… and he suddenly felt bad for assuming they'd be needing them at some point, and for hoping they did. Because he thought she was pretty, he really did. It was like she didn't know it herself, or even like if she actually tried hard not to let it show, as weird as it sounded… but too bad for her, if that was the case. He still thought she was. That was just a part of it, though, and that was actually the problem, because he knew what physical attraction was about; he'd seen lots of beautiful women before… but nothing about any of them had ever made him do the stuff he was doing, follow them around. He felt attracted to her in a way he wasn't used to, and it made his nervous as hell.

"Well, I think it's perfect", she answered once he opened the door and turned the lights on, and he couldn't help but laugh at the word she'd chosen to describe his place.

"Perfect? Jesus... if I hadn't dropped ya in that nice neighborwood some days ago I woulda started fuckin' worryin' bout where tha hell ya live…" he said with a chuckle.

She froze for a second, he could tell, but then she laughed.

"So, what?" she said, crossing her arms around her chest. "Living in a nice neighborwood is your idea of perfection?"

He frowned, but then realized from her expression she was just teasing him.

"Hell.. naw, reckon it ain't", he said, grabbing two beer cans from the fridge and placing them on the table. "s' probably better than this though", he gestured with his head for her to take a seat. "that where ya live anyway?" he asked once they sat. He started to feel more relaxed the minute he noticed things hadn't turned awkward, even with them on his house, the conversation still flowing naturally between them.

"It's a nice house, yes", she told him with a shrug. "But", she said between sips, "it's far away from perfect… I'd rather be here". Her eyes lingered on his, their expression confusing, and he wanted to ask wanted to ask her so many things he was actually thinking about just spending all night talking to her, just getting to know her more.

"well I'm glad yer 'ere", he said simply, yet he picked up the beer can and took a long drink from it, hoping it'd keep her from seeing his face turn a thousand different shades of red. If she did notice, she didn't say a word, just openly smiled at him, and he felt that smile encourage him way more than the countless beers he had drank could ever do, and he stood up with the excuse of getting another round, just to sit closer to her when he got back to the table.

Jesus. He suddenly wished he'd had more of a life back on his twenties or even on his teenage years in order to know how on hell to proceed now that alcohol seemed to have disappeared of his system. He looked up at her, bringing his thumb to his mouth and chewing on it, and she surprised him by grabbing his hand and cover it with hers. He tensed at first, but then relaxed over the soft feeling of the smooth skin over his rough hand.

"oh my god! I bet it even hurts", she said then, pulling his hand closer and taking her time to examine his fingers one by one. "You shouldn't do this, you know? You've got nice hands", she told him, letting his hand go.

He smiled sheepishly, a little uncomfortable over the fact she'd just watched the torture he subjected his nails to, and instantly missing the sensation of her hand touching his. He leaned back on the chair, unconsciously starting to bring his hand back to his mouth and laughing as soon as he realized it.

"Yea.. ol' habits die hard I guess", he commented. "Ain't even conscious, jus' sorta happens, whenever I'm nervous or some shit".

She raised her brows, her hand on her chin as she turned her head to fully look at him. "so you're nervous now?" she asked, her voice lower than before.

He chuckled, thinking his answer for a second.

"Among otha things, yea, I'm a lil' nervous", he admitted, surprisingly feeling more at ease now that everything seemed to be flowing in the same direction he hadn't known how to reach a few minutes ago.

"And why is that?" she asked, leaning slightly forward.

He shook his head, biting his bottom lip. "Hell I dunno, ya tell me", he said, looking up at her. "'s got somethin' to do with ya".

* * *

><p>Carol felt her heart beat uncontrollably fast the second she heard him state he was nervous. It'd been years since the last time she'd flirted with anyone or she'd been in a situation like this, yet it looked like she knew more about it than he did. And it surprised her, that a man like that didn't really seem to know how to make a move with a woman, but at the same time it was cute, and it felt more sincere. She didn't know much about him, not really, but she could tell the things he said weren't just lines to get into her pants, she could tell he meant them.<p>

"And why's that?" she asked, and she couldn't help but move a little towards him, both their hands on the table and almost touching the other's. The memory of his hand under hers a few seconds ago came back to her and she shivered, the need of breaking the distance between them growing deep inside her.

"Hell I dunno, ya tell me". She watched him capture his bottom lip with his teeth, an image she hoped stuck in her mind for a long time. "'s got somethin' ta do with ya".

And all the doubts and second thoughts, even the fact that tomorrow she'd wake up and her reality would be exactly the same, they started to fade away. Probably for the first time, it didn't really matter. He didn't even know about it and somehow, she could pretend it didn't exist; she could pretend she was a just a woman having a drink with a guy on a Saturday night.

She smiled at him, sliding her hand through the table so it was now brushing his. He responded quickly, his fingers slowly tracing patterns over her hand and then moving up her forearm, and as much as she wanted to feel more of him, she liked that he wasn't rushing anything.

"Yer really pretty", he said quietly after what seemed like minutes of silence.

"You think so?" she asked him, and she knew it was what most women said when being told they were pretty, but she truly meant it.

"Ya are", he said simply, and he leaned in, his fingers leaving her hand to move to her face and cup her chin. His lips brushed against hers and she froze for a second, but just when he was starting to pull apart, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, slowly at first, their lips moving almost lazily against each other, but then he bit her bottom lip and her lips parted, a soft moan coming out of her mouth when she felt his tongue seek out hers, his hands moving up and down her sides. She leaned forward, almost losing her balance, and he gripped her sides and in one quick movement pulled her to his lap. She smiled against his mouth and kissed him again, much more eagerly this time, the feeling of his whole body pressed against her own sending chills over her whole body. Her tongue pushed inside his mouth reaching for his own, her chest brushing against his and he let out a growl and slid his hand under her tank top, his mouth leaving hers and going to her neck, leaving wet kisses all the way down to her shoulder as his hand moved dangerously up her side until it almost reached her bra.

And she remembered it then… she rembemered who she actually was and that her skin was covered by many different kind of scars he hadn't discovered yet, but he would if he kept moving his hand up. She pulled apart instantly, her breathing labored both by that heated kiss and her sudden realization.

"Ya ok?" he asked her, lifting her chin and making her look at him, his face a little flushed and his narrowed eyes dark and intense. He was gorgeous, and she was hating herself for stopping it. She was hating the evidence of her real self on her skin so much she felt her eyes become watery.

"I'm fine…" she muttered, watching his confused expression and suddenly feeling she owed him an explanation.

"I'm sorry… for this, for stopping this when it was me who suggested we came here…" She attempted to stand up but he brought his hands to her hips, steading her.

"Nothin' to be sorry fer", he said simply, scratching his chin as thinking what else to say. "hell, I don't want ya doin' anythin' ya don't wanna do", he added.

And maybe she was already oversensitive, but his words touched him, the sincerity in his voice, the fact that he didn't even look frustrated or annoyed.

"You're a good man, Daryl", she said, placing both her hands on his shoulders before standing up. "I should probably leave".

He looked up at her from the chair.

"Ya ain't gotta leave neither. 's late, and rainy… ya can stay 'ere fer the nigh'.. There's ma bed, there's tha couch I can sleep in…"

She looked up the ceiling, giving it some thought: if she stayed, she had to make sure she got home before 7 am, because Ed usually called very early in the morning whenever he was out, and she didn't even want to imagine what would happen if she didn't answer. Then there was the fact that whether she stayed or not, Daryl would want to take her home and she would have to reject the offer and make some excuse up… but she really did want to stay. She wanted to prolong this as long as possible.

"I can stay, but I should get home really early in the morning…", she said finally.

"Alrite", he said, standing up and grabbing the beer cans to the kitchen.

"Daryl?" she called him as she followed him.

"Yea?"

"You don't have to sleep in the couch. We can share your bed, if you want.. I mean, sleep together, like, literally", she couldn't help but chuckle at her offer.

He threw the beer cans to the trash bin and walked towards her.

"yea.. I'd like that..." he said, giving her that half smile she'd seen before, and taking her hand to lead her to his bedroom.


	8. Up to You

Well this one was supossed to be totally different but it just ended being like this.. hope you like it! tell me what you think!

S.-

* * *

><p>8.<p>

It was still dark when Carol woke up, last night events slowly coming back to her and soon enough she realized she was still there at his house, sleeping in his bed, her head resting on his chest, and she could feel his arm loose around her. She closed her eyes and smiled, taking a few minutes to enjoy the strange moment, his smell intoxicating her senses as she remembered his mouth on hers, his hands on her body. She remembered how she suggested they shared the bed, and the minute they walked in the room when he just grabbed one of his t-shirts and offered it to her, walking outside so that she put it on. And she couldn't believe why would anyone have something bad to say about him or why they would give him strange looks like he'd told her people did. As far as she could tell he was one of the nicest men she'd ever met, and she knew she wasn't wrong about it.

She didn't have a clock, and she started to worry about what time it was still dark, so it couldn't be 7 am just yet, but she'd probably have to leave in any minute. She'd promised herself yesterday she just wouldn't feel sad, but now as she thought she had to leave, as she realized she might never see him again, she found it hard to keep it.

"Ain't even 6 am yet", he growled suddenly, surprisingly tightening the grip of his arm around her and pulling her to him.

"How did you know I was awake? I hardly even moved"… she asked, amused.

"I heard ya", he mumbled sleepily.

"And how do you know it isn't 6 am yet?" she asked again, looking up at him even though she couldn't see him.

"I jus' do..", he told her, his hand going up and down her back.

"Can we check it on the clock? I mean... it's not that I don't believe you but... if it's 6 already I should really leave"

He yawned and looked down at her, chuckling. "Ya wanna bet?" he said, pulling her apart and leaning to reach the night table and grab his phone.

"Ten to five", he told her, and she saw him smile through the light of the phone. "I wake up at 5.30 every day... ain't never needed an alarm. 'em birds start singin' at 5.30, never 'fore that, that's how I knew what time it was", he explained, shifting to lay on his side.

"That's… impressing", she said, facing him.

"So ya ain't gotta leave yet", he told her instead, his hand going to his cheek.

"Not just yet", she answered, leaning into his touch. She felt his body move forward, his face closer to hers now as he kept on moving his hand up and down her cheek, and he leaned in, placing a small kiss on her lips, watching her reaction carefully afterwards.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck, not quite beliveing it was possible to feel this comfortable with someone she barely knew, and pressed her lips on the hot skin there. She heard him let out a breath and her mind went blank, her lips moving up his neck until they reached his earlobe. He growled, louder this time, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer. She moved her face and felt his lips almost brushing hers, his eyes wide open, one of his hands moving to cup her chin.

"I ain't gonna do anythin'.. I promise", he said between breaths, and all she could do was nod, thinking if only he knew all the things he wanted him to do to her… her hands going to his back and shoulders as she realized he was wearing a tank top, her fingers tracing the shape of his strong arms. And she leaned forward and kissed him, not even caring about her potential morning breath, her lips melting with his roughly than the night before, his tongue instantly sliding inside her mouth and tangling with hers, their tongues moving against each other unceasingly. She was starting to change her mind, or her mind was starting to play a minor role in this whole thing, her fingers curling in the waistband of his jeans, her own hips pushing against his as they kissed.

She let out a moan the same time he did, the feeling of him, hard and pressed against her core sending chills from her stomach and down her legs, a forgotten and addicting sensation. She started to slide her hand down her pants, feeling the need to touch him, but he shifted and in one movement positioned himself on top of her. He broke the kiss and lifted his head to look at her, brushing the locks of hair off her forehead with his fingers.

"Let's get some coffee 'fore ya go", he said. She must have given her an horrified look because he chuckled.

"Promised ya" he explained, rolling off of her. "Ya up fer some coffee?"

"I am", she said, hoping her breathing returned to normal, and even when she couldn't care less about coffee or anything other than his body pressed against hers,she smiled. She was sure she'd smiled more in one night than she had in years.

And the sight of him barefoot and in those loose jeans, the white tank top and his hair all messy as she walked in the kitchen and he handed her a cup of coffee wasn't exactly helpful. She didn't want to leave, weird thoughts of just letting go and staying with him, staying with him until whatever happened, crossing her mind. But he knew she couldn't, she knew she'd regret it.

"Ya ain't gonna let me take ya home", he stated, leaning against the sink with the coffee mug on his hand.

"I better just take a cab…" she muttered a little nervously, sitting on a bench.

"Can I ask ya why?" His eyes were scanning her face and she knew he knew, at least partially, there was something going on.

"Daryl.. I.. it's complicated", she began, not really knowing how to explain it to him without really telling him the whole thing.

"Yer married". It wasn't a question, and she wasn't that surprised he'd figured it out.

"It's not that", she said, staring at the floor. It wasn't a complete lie, after all: the problem wasn't the fact that she was married; the problem was who she was married to.

He scratched his head in a gesture she'd seen before, and lighted a cigarrete, absently watching the smoke for a few seconds.

"Listen, ya don't really owe me no explanation…" he said, taking a long drag from his cigarrete. "I do wanna see ya again though".

"Daryl, I don't know…", she sighed, rubbing her face, and next thing she knew he was lifting her chin with his fingers, making her look at him.

"Ya tell me ya don't wanna see me 'gain.. then ya jus' go and 's all good. But I got tha feelin' ya do, too". His voice was soft, so soft she couldn't help but nod. He grabbed his phone from his pocket and turned around, calling for a cab.

It hadn't been 2 minutes when the cab showed up. He walked her towards the front door and opened it, leaning against the door frame, and she pulled him towards him, placing a small kiss on his lips. His face was rather serious and expressionless, but he grabbed his hand and covered it with his own, putting a small paper inside.

"That's my phone number… 's up to ya", he said, squeezing her hand a little before closing the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Carol got home at 6.30, sadness hiting her hard the minute she opened the door and walked back into her reality. She walked around the house, her mind automatically going through all the things she had to do before Ed got back in the evening and to keep him from being mad, well, madder than he'd already be, at her. And she suddenly felt something take over her, something like rage… the sudden need of breaking things, of breaking every existent thing in that house. She sat on a chair, her hand on her forehead as she tried to calm down, and she did the only thing she could think of doing to feel better: she dialed Glenn's number.<p> 


	9. Not giving up

Another chapter... there probably won't be any caryl interaction for a few chapters but I hope you like this anyway.

thanks for reading, tell me what you think! 

S.-

* * *

><p>9.<p>

"Alright, I got like ten thousand questions I need to put in order", Glenn said, and Carol chuckled, glad she'd decided to call him. She knew what she'd be doing otherwise… she knew she'd be cleaning all the house like crazy, ironing Ed's clothes and laying on her bed after, crying her heart out because… well, because she had enough reasons to. She needed Glenn; she needed her friend to give her some hope, to tell her that maybe, just maybe, something good could come out of all this.

"Jesus, I don't know where to begin", he said, laughing slightly. "Where did you say you met him? Back in that bar you told me you went to sometimes?"

"No.. well, kind of. It's kind of weird actually... I met him, huh, in the grocery store?"

Glenn's eyes went wide, his lips curling in another smirk. "Jesus, I would have never thought you could actually meet someone in the grocery store... then again, I met Maggie in a farm".

Carol laughed. "Oh my god! Did I already know that?" she asked him, and he grinned.

"Back to the point... so you met him in the grocery store.. how did that happen?"

Carol brought her hands to her chin, giving it some thought. She actually couldn't remember well how exactly it'd happened.

"I'm not really sure, you know?" she admitted finally. "He caught my attention, because... well, he's hot... like really hot, and we might have exchanged a few words, but then I went out with all my bags and he stopped his truck, told me he could give me a ride."

"Looks like you caught his attention too, then", Glenn commented, and Carol let out a sarcastic snort.

"I don't' think so. I mean, he was just being kind… anyway, the thing is, a week later or something, I go out to that bar I told you about, and I see him there, right next to me asking the bartender for a drink. We talk some more, just a little more... he isn't exactly, I don't know, very talkative or something.. but he's really nice anyway. And then I tell him I have to go, and just for fun, just because I'd have never thought... or hell, I don't know why, but I tell him I might be there next week". She stopped and looked at Glenn, who was leaning with his arms crossed on the table, carefully listening to her.

"And he showed up", he said, that smirk back on his face. "Like I told ya, you caught his attention too", he added, pointing at her with his finger.

"He did show up", she just said. "But.. Glenn.." she sighed, wishing there weren't no buts.

"But? What do you mean by 'but'? what the hell happened when you saw him again?!" She saw him lift his arms in the air in an indignation gesture, his mouth wide open, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud. He'd always been fond of all the details whenever he heard a story and that was partially why talking to him was always so fun.

"That was yesterday", she told him with a smirk. "What can I say, Glenn?... it was just perfect. Everything... we talked in the bar some more... but it was... maybe a little more flirty than the other times, and then I ended up in his house", she stopped to look at him, but he was just nodding.

"And?" he asked when she stopped talking.

"And, well... nothing happened, I mean, not everything... but I stayed overnight, thinking that maybe, well.. that maybe today was going to be different, that he wouldn't be interested anymore, that he'd just say goodbye and I'd just leave…"

"But he wanted to see you again", Glenn said, smiling proudly.

Carol nodded. "He gave me his number just before I left, told me it was up to me". She then furrowed her brows at him: "Why was it so obvious for you anyway?"

Glenn chuckled. "Are you kidding me Carol? I'm a guy too, remember? I know how it works, I know how we work... hell, I'm probably not that experienced but I sure as hell know I don't go all the way to a bar to meet someone I'm not sure whether I like or not. I'd do it for Maggie, definitely… I'd do it for someone I've liked so much it makes me want to see them again".

Carol sighed and rubbed her arms. "Yeah, well, that's my insecure self speaking for me... the part that keeps wondering what the hell a guy like that would see in me", she said, playing with the breadcrumbs spreaded over the table.

"What isn't there to see, Carol?" Glenn said so softly she looked up at him and smiled slightly.

"That's the least of my problems anyway…", she said sadly

"What you mean?"

"What I mean? Glenn... I'm not..." she looked up at the ceiling, letting out a loud breath. "I'm not Maggie, telling her friends the story about how she met you… I wish nothing more than sitting here talking to you, analyzing all the things he told me, wondering whether he liked me enough or not"… Carol glanced at him. "I wish nothing more than this being the way it should be, Glenn, but it isn't", she said, shaking his head. "There's Ed, there's always Ed".

"Jesus, I hate that bastard so fucking much", he bursted out, most for himself than for her. "But Carol…"

"Glenn, I can't divorce Ed, I can't run away from him… you know I can't, for now, at least, probably not for a long time. That's the way it is, I can't lie to myself, I can't pretend it's any different. I'd only end up even more hurt…" she hated herself for saying those words, for having resigned that way.

"What I was going to say was… maybe you can't be happy the way you should be, the way you deserve it, maybe, just for now, you should try to be happy the way you can… and Carol, if you really believe what you just told me, why did you tell him you'd be at the bar? Why did you go to his house, why are we even discussing it?" he narrowed his eyes and tilted his head, waiting for his answer.

She shrugged. "Because it feels good, pretending to be someone else every now and then", she said, avoiding his gaze.

"That isn't why", he said shaking his head, his lips pressed in a thin line.

"And why is it then?" she asked, dropping her arms to her lap.

"Because you haven't given up. Even after all you've been through, after everything you live every day... you can't avoid seeking for it, for things that do you good.. for an escape, and I admire you for that Carol", he told him, his eyes stuck on hers.

"it doesn't make much sense, you know? you saying you admire me for being an abused housewife", she said, her head still bent down as she stared at the floor.

"I admire you for being who you are, despite all that. And that's how I know you'll get out of this, we'll carry out our plan when the time comes... but Carol, you have to let people in, they… he, whoever he is, he might help you, he might protect you… he might make it better… did you tell him?" he asked suddenly.

She lifted her eyes this time and looked at him. "I didn't", she said, shaking her head. "I couldn't, I hardly know him. He figured it out though, that something was going on… he even asked me if I was married".

"What did you say?"

"I didn't deny it, but I didn't confirm it either... I just, avoided his question I guess", she told him, and he nodded understandingly.

"Do you remember that day you finally told me everything?" Of all questions, she wouldn't have imagined he'd ask that.

"Yes.. I do", she said, frowning in confusion. "What's that got to do with this anyway?"

He raised his brows, avoiding her question. "How did you end up telling me?"

Carol just remained silent, looking at him.

"You wouldn't have let me helped you… you wouldn't have shared it with me, ever… if I hadn't seen it, Carol", he told her, his mouth curling in one side and his eyebrows raising as to prove her his point.

"And you know why, because I think it's dangerous… getting people involved", she told him, mirroring his expression.

"It's more dangerous if you don't", he said simply.

"So you're saying I should see him again", she said, curling her mouth to stop a little smile from spreading.

"You know I was going to say you should… " he told her with a chuckle.

"I have to admit you're right… I wouldn't have made it without you, even when I wouldn't have told you if I hadn't had to", she confessed, looking down.

He smiled, reaching for her hand through the table and squeezing it.

"Now back to the fun part… tell me all the nasty details about that sleepover!" he said, smirking.


	10. Another Day

here we go again

have a nice saturday!

S.-

* * *

><p>10.<p>

Daryl came back from his hunt, satisfied with the three rabbits he'd caught, his stomach grawling at the idea of roasted rabbit and potatoes for lunch. He'd headed straight to the woods, crossbow on his back, the minute she'd left in that cab. He thought it might help him clear his mind; keep him from thinking of someone he didn't even know he was going to see again. And it did, at some point, that familiar smell of the forest filling his senses as he automatically begun focusing on every sound and every movement, the sensation of her underneath his touch fading for the moment, but just for the moment, because as he walked with those three rabbits hanging out of his bag it was there again, and he wondered where she was right now. He wondered if it was possible that a woman like that went and cheated on her husband just for the likes of it and if she was even married to begin with or there was something… something else, but he couldn't come up with what could she possibly be hiding and it frustrated him, especially because if there was something he was good at, that was figuring people out, catching those things that usually went unperceived by the rest.

And he got even more frustrated the minute he saw Merle's… wait, _his_ truck parked outside his front yard. He felt the least he needed now was the company, especially if it involved Merle's big mouth. He opened the door with a sigh, but figured since they technically shared the apartment, even though Merle was rarely there, he simply couldn't complain.

"Someone's gotten wild yesterday huh?" Merle said as soon as he saw him, letting out a loud laugh right after. They were apparently playing some card game with Andrea, who lifted her eyes and smirked at him, but didn't say anything.

"Shut up bro, this ain't no damn hotel anyway fer ya to show up wheneva tha hell ya want", he barked, heading straight to the kitchen to freeze the rabbits. "Sup Andrea", he added on his way.

"Hold on a sec... is those fuckin' rabbits ya got in there? Damn boy, I just told Andrea I was dyin' fer a damn rabbit stew", Merle told him, following him to the kitchen.

"Well, guess I ain't got no fuckin' option.. Ain't I?" Daryl commented as he skillfully deskinned the animals.

"Sure as hell ya ain't…", Merle said, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. "So who tha hell was she? Ya finally decided ta put yer dick into tha blondie?"

"Jesus, Merle", Daryl said, shaking his head. "No one you know, alrite?"

"She got a name? Or ya forgot it as usual?" he insisted, raising his brows.

"Name's Carol, but she ain't from 'ere... she, huh, lives somewhere else", Daryl said, feeling it was kind of soothing, saying her name aloud, like if it made her real and brought her closer to him.

"Wooho.. tastin' some foreign pussy, good fer ya lil' brotha!" Merle said, clapping his hands enthuastically.

Andrea walked into the kitchen and stood in the middle of both, rolling her eyes at Merle.

"Baby, you sound like a 14 horny kid", she told him, and Daryl snorted.

"cause I fuckin' am one", Merle said playfully, spinning her against the counter and kissing her hard on the lips. Daryl back was to them, so he gladly couldn't see the show. He sure as hell could hear it though.

"So, Carol huh? and where did you meet her?" Andrea asked, approaching Daryl once she apparently had finished making out with Merle.

"Jus' in a bar… tha' same bar we went to tha otha day", he said, shrugging. "Grab a couple 'f onions from tha fridge, migh' as well get started wit' this, I'm fuckin' starvin'" he added, not quite comfortable with being the center of attention, even around Andrea and Merle.

"That bar? Why on hell did you go there again? It's like.. so far away", Andrea asked back, not bothering to get those onions.

"Jus' felt like somethin' different", he answered, starting to chop the onions he'd gotten himself.

"And was she?" Andrea asked him as she leaned next to him to watch him carefully. Daryl rolled his eyes. For some reason Andrea had made it a personal mission to hook him up with whichever woman he or she met.

"Was she what?" he didn't even bother to look at her.

"Different, Daryl", she told him impatiently.

"Yea.. Reckon she was..." he finally admitted, "not that I'll be seein' er again or anythin'", he mumbled, slightly disappointed at his own statement.

"But you want to, I can tell", Andrea whispered close to his ear so that Merle didn't hear. He was busy watching a game on TV and had apparently lost interest in the conversation anyway.

"Stop it", Daryl barked. Yeah, he wanted to, but that didn't mean he'd share that with her.

* * *

><p>"Have you been doing anything other than eating the whole damn fridge? Jesus, look at that ass. It's fucking huge!" Ed yelled, grabbing her ass with one hand. Carol's body automatically tensed, her eyes shutting close and she silently prayed he didn't push her against the counter and did <em>that <em>to her. Those were the things that took her the longest to recover from, and she certainly didn't feel she could take feeling his disgusting hands all over her after having had Daryl's soft ones touching her gently, the evidence of how different things could be for her if only… what? If only Ed didn't exist or he disappeared or something.

But, fortunately, he'd decided long ago her body wasn't worth it anymore. It'd costed her more beatings than she could have ever imagined she could take, but she still thought the best decision she ever made was taking those pills to avoid getting pregnant, which had finally make him stop trying and despise her body so much he rarely put her hands on her, even when he knew it was the best way of hurting her.

Carol sighed deeply, relieved when she felt him remove his hand away from her, and she just ignored his aggressive comment and kept on washing the potatoes, her back to him. She could feel he was still around, and she knew what that meant. It meant he was looking for trouble, waiting for the moment she did something wrong to stand up and make her pay for it. And she'd grown to know, even when she didn't know all the theory behind an abusive personality, it was almost something that possessed him, some kind of distorted need of hitting her that grew inside him and didn't go away until he fulfilled it. And it kept getting worse and worse just like any other type of pathology or addiction, like drugs, or alcohol, which she suspected he was into just as well.

"How stupid can you possible be, woman?! Can't you figure out it's quicker if you put the water to boil?! That too hard for you?!" He barked, and Carol watched him stand up out of the corner of her eye, and she shivered and tensed in anticipation. He pulled her short hair this time, her head immediately going back, and she let out a little whimper of pain.

"Good for nothing, that's what you are", he said on her ear. He picked up the pan with the potatoes in it and threw it to the floor, making a loud sound.

"I'm not even hungry anymore, you stupid bitch", he muttered and turned around, leaving her alone in the kitchen with a mess on the floor and her eyes full of tears one more time. It was Sunday and it sure seemed it was going to be a long week once more.

She brought her hand to her back pocket, her fingers instantly gripping the piece of paper with his phone number. It was nothing, it wouldn't make her week any better, and she knew all that. But it was also soothing in a way she didn't understand.


	11. Two Weeks

This took a little long to come out, but here it is.

Hope you enjoy it, let me know what you think and have a great weekend!

S.-

* * *

><p>Daryl wiped the sweat off his forehead, humidity so high on that Friday afternoon the sky was becoming dark and he knew a storm would begin anytime soon. He jumped off the roof not even bothering in using the ladder and walked to the truck, hoping there'd be a bottle of water in there.<br>He'd never admit it, but he was sure he had sunstroked a bit or something, because his whole body was burning and his head was pulsing. He also felt a little nauseous even when he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast.

He sighed in relief when he saw two bottles of water on the truck seat, and he quickly took one and started to throw the water all over his head, letting out a satisfied growl. Merle and Andrea always told him he should take it slower, especially on hot days, take a break at midday and eat something, but he always preferred to finish work as early as he could and take off. Plus, he'd always been a little obsessive and once he started working he didn't stop until it was perfectly done, one of the reasons he was so good at fixing and building things. Only aspect of life he was actually patient and dedicated; well, probably hunting too.

He shook his head to let the water dropplets fall, too absorted in the refreshing sensation, when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. And he blushed, or he felt he did, when he saw that woman, the owner of the house, staring at him, a glass of what looked like orange juice and a plate with cookies on one of her hands. He couldn't define which look she was giving to him, but from the way he was probably looking, all sweaty and full of dirt, he figured she was probably disgusted or something alike.

"Huh, I'm sorry.. didn't know there was someone 'ere..", he mumbled, rubbing his hands over his bare arms to try to clean them up a bit.

The woman just smiled and took a step forward, handing him the meal. She was wearing fancy clothes, too fancy for a Friday afternoon, Daryl thought. He'd met her husband before, who seemed like a nice guy, even in Daryl's opinion. He'd been working in construction for a few years now and even when it was alright for him, the interaction with people that came with it was the part he disliked the most.

"Please, that's alright. I saw you working non-stop since you got here. You should take a break", she commented. Daryl just nodded, drinking all the juice from the glass and handing it back to her. He figured she was going to turn around and leave but she just stood there, her eyes still fixed on his frame.

"Yea well, I'm done fer tha day…" he told her, avoiding her gaze. "Ya seen ma brotha? the otha guy, Merle?"

"Oh, he's inside. I offered him a cup of coffee, told him he should get away from the sun too. You can come in if you want", she said with another smile, and Daryl couldn't help but chuckle. That was very like Merle, taking any opportunity he got of having some free food, especially if it was a somewhat cute woman offering it.

"Yea, huh.. thanks, I should pro'bly get goin though'", he said, bringing his hands to his pockets just because he didn't know what to do with himself, and the way this woman was staring at him was making uncomfortable.

"Oh, that's ok", she said, shifting from one foot to another. "Well, I'll tell him you're done then", she added, giving him a last smile before turning around.

Daryl scratched his head, glad that the conversation was over. He appreciated the juice and the cookies but he'd rather have his stomach empty if that meant he didn't have to talk to people, especially when they acted like he was a working redneck they were offering a hand-out to or something.

"Sup lil' brotha? Jesus, ya look like ya comin' straight from hell", Merle said cheerfully, as always, taking one of the cookies from his hand and eating it as he walked to the truck.

"Gimme a break Merle! Haven ya been inside tha house havin' coffee and cookies and what not wit' that woman?" he asked him, amused.

"'Damn straight I was.. nice piece 'f ass tha' one.. I'm tellin' ya though.. she ain't got eyes fer anyone but you", Merle drawled as he turned the truck on.

"Hell ya talkin' bout, Merle? she's married, fer fuck's sake.. 'er husband seems nice 'nough", Daryl said boringly.

"Ya know 'em women.. always wantin' wha' they can't have", Merle commented, lighting a cigarrete, which Daryl mimicked. "I'm tellin ya bro, she came outside jus' lookin' fer ya.. then she saw me and her cute lil' face turned all disappointed, she told me ta call you, said we'd done 'nough, ya should try 'n talk ta her next time we come 'ere".

"Jesus, Merle.. I ain't hittin' on no damn married woman.. ain't even like 'er ta begin wit'", Daryl told him, opening the window since the old, rusty track had no air conditioner at all.

"Alrite, I migh' do it then.. ", Merle said with a snort. "Wouldn' be tha firs' time I use ya ta get 'em, would it?"

Daryl rolled his eyes and remained silent; hoping the next time Merle opened his mouth he talked about something else rather than women, his favourite topic by far.

"Where tha hell we goin'?" he asked once he noticed Merle was driving in the opposite direction from home.

"Tha office.. gotta see Andrea, ya got plans fer tonigh'?" Merle asked absently.

"Jus' sleepin.. I'm tired as fuck. Ain't goin' out wit' you guys so don' even try", Daryl replied, leaning against the truck seat.

"Ya gotten yerself some company ya ain't tellin' us 'bout, like tha otha day?" there he was, talking about women once more. This time, though, he instantly lifted his eyes and looked at Merle, the reminder of how she'd never called too annoying at the moment.

"No, not tha' I know of", he murmured.

* * *

><p>Daryl lay on the couch, a beer on his hand and a cigarrete on the other as he fought to keep his eyes open. It was barely 7 pm but it'd been a long week, and he thought going to sleep and waking up early to go hunting sounded like the best thing to do.<p>

It'd been two weeks without Carol having called him and he thought by now she just wouldn' even felt angry at himself for expecting it, so badly that last Friday he'd ended up at that same bar they'd seen each other twice, only to not find her there, of course. If she hadn't called she sure as hell wouldn't show up in a bar she knew she might see him, and he was starting to think whatever it was that they had going on in the few times they'd seen each other hadn't been mutual. His theory was she'd probably been distanced from some husband or boyfriend and tried to find some distraction while she worked things out, which she probably had, by now. Still, every damn day he checked his phone once or twice to see if she'd called, and it was starting to get on his nerves.

But the phone did ring that day, and when he saw it was an unknown number his heart beating rised. When he answered, there was a female voice on the other side. It was her.

"Yea?"

"Huh, hi. Daryl?"

"Yea, who's this?" He asked even when he'd instantly recognized her voice.

"Hi. I'm Carol… I'm not sure if you remember me".

Daryl stood up and got another cigarette. "Yea, yea, I do. Sup?"

"Hi", her voice sounded relieved from a second. "I'm sorry I haven't called before.. I've just, been busy.."

"That's alrite. Been busy maself too", he lied.

"I was wondering if you wanted to meet?" she asked then, catching him off guard.

"Huh, yeah, when?" he figured it was alright to be as straight forward as she was being.

"Today, maybe? Maybe I could go there?" there were no doubts or insecurities in her voice, and he couldn't help but grin at how radically his planes for the night were about to change.

"Sure, huh, I think I'm free tonigh'", he lied once more. "Ya sure ya wanna come 'ere?"

"I'm sure, yes. I remember how to get there and all. 9 pm ok for you?"

"'s fine, yea", he mumbled, still amazed at how decided she sounded.

"Perfect!" she said. "See you then".


	12. Scars

Here we go, another chapter.

I hope you like it! I hope it doesn't have so many grammar mistakes either, since it's 2.25 am here and I couldn't check it that much. 

S.-

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><p>12.<p>

Daryl hurried from the shower to his bedroom, his eyes scanning the few shirts and t-shirts he owned in search of something more or less decent to wear. He was thinking of so many things at the same time he didn't know where to start: his house wasn't exactly clean but he guessed it was too late to do anything about it, and at least he always had a few beers on the fridge, even some whiskey too, but he realized she hadn't mentioned whether she wanted to eat something or not. She hadn't really mentioned anything other than the fact she was coming and he didn't know whether he should set a table for two or some nice shit like that or just take it easy and wait until she came, wait to see what she wanted to do. He honestly didn't care. She'd called and his mood had changed dramatically ever since then. Even when this was the last thing he'd imagined he'd been doing tonight, even when he was so unused to having a woman over he really didn't know how to proceed.

She knocked on the door at almost 9.30 and he jumped off the couch to get it, unable to avoid looking at her up and down the second he saw her, a hint of a smile on his lips as he noticed how good she looked. It wasn't a sophisticated outfit or anything, which was exactly why he liked it so much, the bright blue tank top making her eyes stand out even more than they usually did, and a pair of faded blue jeans that hugged her hips nicely.

"Hi", she said, and he cleared his throat, stepping aside to let her walk in.

"Hey Carol", he said shyly, his lack of charm something he hated in these kinds of situations.

"Ya, huh.. ya look nice", he offered, trying not to care about how deep he started to blush the second the words came out of his mouth.

She walked towards the couch and left her purse there, looking at him over her shoulder with a smile on her face. "You always look nice", she said simply, her gaze travelling up and down his body.

"uh thanks, hey.. I didn't know whatcha wanted ta do.. I mean, ya ate already?" he asked, walking towards her, his hands on his pockets.

"Um, no, not really", she replied. "It's ok though".

Daryl chuckled and shook his head. "It ain't never ok fer me if I haven eaten.. I can, huh.. I ain't got much in tha fridge but I can fix us somethin' I guess, or we can order.. yer call", he bursted out nervously. "Meanwhile ya tell me whatcha wanna drink".

"I actually am a little hungry", she admitted with a smile.

"Alrite then…c'mon", he said, motioning with his head for her to follow him.

Daryl silently thanked the fact Merle didn't spend so much time there anymore, which explained why the fridge wasn't as empty as it usually was. He asked Carol whether chicken salad sandwich was alright with her, although he suddenly wished he had a rabbit to cook her a more impressive dinner. He offered her a beer can and opened one himself, taking a long sip from it as he silently fixed the sandwiches, Carol sitting on a bench behind him.

"You said you lived with your brother, right? I never saw him around", Carol commented, breaking the silence.

"Yeah… he ain't around much lately, he's um, fu.. seein' this woman, stays at her place a lot", he explained, looking at her over his shoulder. "not that I complain though", he added with a chuckle.

"Do you guys get along well? I never had any brothers or sisters… don't really know how it works, you know?" she said thoughtfully, her eyes following him as he moved around the kitchen.

Daryl looked up the ceiling, actually giving it some thought. He was sure no one had ever asked that to him and he was sure that question had never crossed his mind either. Did he get along with Merle? He'd say it was more complicated like that, then again… it'd always been him and Merle.

"Guess we do", he said with a shrug. "Merle is.. huh, he's an asshole most 'f tha time, guess I'm jus' used ta it", he commented.

"Alrite, let's fuckin' eat", he announced, putting the sandwiches and another round of beers on a tray and heading towards the small living room. 

* * *

><p>They finished eating really quickly, talking about random things in between, Carol having complimented his sandwiches a thousand times, which he found amusing. There were subtle things about her, he realized, like the way she seemed so grateful and marveled over little things, things anyone would do, that got him thinking, but he shrugged them off, deciding it wasn't his business. At least not yet.<p>

He crushed a cigarrete on the ashtray and leaned against the couch, trying to keep from getting nervous now that there wasn't any distraction since dinner was over. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and she really did look relaxed, like if all those thoughts about what the hell this was and what was supposed to happen next weren't running through her head the way they were running through his.

"I thought ya weren' callin..", he said suddenly as he watched her lean to get her beer from the coffee table.

"I meant to call.. I mean, before, but I just, I couldn't… until today", she explained, turning her body to face him.

"'s alrite.. ya ain't gotta explain… I jus' thought, well.. ain't matter anyway", he told her, not really knowing what he was trying to say.

"I've been thinking about you though, all this time… even when I couldn't call", she said softly, lifting her eyes to reach his.

He swallowed hard and shifted his body, his lips curling in an almost unperceptible smile and his heart hammering in his chest over her statement.

"Been thinkin' bout ya too... hell I even went to tha' bar las' Friday, thought ya migh' be there", he confessed with a snort, benting his head down.

She leaned slightly forward, taking him by surprise when he felt her warm hand brush his cheek, and he lifted his head up, noticing how close her face was, her eyes staring at him intensely.

"You went to that bar?" she asked in a whisper, but she didn't give him any time to answer because the next second her lips were brushing against his. His hand instantly went to her face but she pulled apart, searching for his eyes as if asking if it was ok.

"I did", he murmured, his voice coming out so low he barely recognized it, and he caught her face with both his hands and kissed her, her lips so soft as they moved over his he let out a growl and slid his tongue over her bottom lip, urging her for permission. Her lips parted instantly and he reached for her tongue with his, shivering when he felt her hands on his chest, grabbing his shirt to pull him closer.

And he'd never really put that much energy into kissing anyone, never really enjoyed it the way he was now, maybe because he didn't know whether this was going to be all they were doing, maybe because there was just something about her, that just dragged him into whatever it was that she wanted out of him. But as he leaned over her, almost unconsciously, her hands going down his chest to his stomach, and further south until her fingers curled in the waistband of his jeans he just felt it wasn't enough; and he groaned as he bit her bottom lip, his lips hungrily searching for hers again, instinct starting to win him over as his own hands travelled up her waist until they brushed the sides of her breasts.

He let his fingers linger over her small, rounded breasts as their tongues melted together, growing even harder when he felt her nipples under the thin material of her tank top and bra, and she threw her head back, her eyes shut close as a soft moan escaped from her lips, which encouraged him to move to the crook of her neck and leave wet kisses up her ear as his hands explored her body, not daring to move underneath her clothes just yet.

"oh my god Daryl", she hissed when he took her earlobe in his mouth and sucked on it, his name on her lips turning him impossibly on and he covered her mouth with his once more, his whole body over hers as he balanced himself with one arm, the other travelling down her body and brushing her thighs, urging her to spread her legs, urging to feel her even over all those layers of clothes. She moaned over his lips when he pressed himself into her, her own hips lifting up and grinding against him. "Oh, fuck", he growled, moving his mouth to her shoulder and biting it as softly as he could. "Carol, hold up", he muttered a little against his will, but he suddenly felt he was close and the last thing he wanted was to come out of dry humping, even when he felt like he'd never needed a release so much before.

He looked up at her, her eyes narrowed and her face flushed, her chest moving up and down matching her unsteady breathing.

"Jesus, ya feel so good.. an' I didn' even touch ya yet..", he whispered, nuzzling his face against her short hair, his hands moving up her arm in a slower motion.

She remained silent and brought her hand to his cheek, moving his face to kiss him again, his lips moving lazily against her own, but when she flicked her tongue over his bottom lip the kiss heated instantly, her hands moving dangerously down once more. And as she kissed him and pressed her body against his he realized that, for whichever odd reason he simply didn't care to understand right now, it seemed she wanted him just as much as he did.

"Ya wanna go to my room?" he whispered on her mouth.

"Yes", she stated, and in one quick movement he stood up, stretching his hand to lead her where he'd been wanting to go for a while now.

He didn't even bother to turn the lights on when they reached his room, his grip on her hand tightening instantly when he felt her other hand roam over his back, as if making sure he was still there. He turned around slowly, not wanting to bump into her, his eyes slowly adjusting to the lack of light.

He brought his hand to her cheek and watched her, the surrounding darkness bringing a whole different atmosphere and giving him a little more courage as he leaned forward without breaking eye contact. She breathed in anticipation the second before his lips touched hers, wrapping her arms around his neck as he walked backwards, her small hands fighting to unbutton his shirt. He let his hands travel to the hem of her tank top and started to lift it up, but she abruptly stopped him and stepped back.

Daryl stood still, unable to understand what had just happened and trying to search on her face any kind of explanation, but since she didn't do anything either he headed to the door and turned the lights on, letting out a sigh. He saw her sit on the side of his bed, her hands on her chin, and he walked towards her, frowning in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked finally.

"I want this, so badly, it's just that", she murmured, and when he looked at him he saw her eyes were watery. He started to worry, trying hard to figure out what could possibly be going on.

"What is it?" he asked softly, kneeling down and lifting her chin with his finger.

"I'm not.. Daryl, I'm", she started saying, a single tear rolling down her face.

"Carol.. jesus, what is it? 's alrite, ya can tell me" he repeated, starting to freak out.

"Someone hurt me... they hurt me and my body, it shows it...", she said in a trembling voice, avoiding his eyes.

He swallowed hard, rage starting to run through his veins as he took her hand and pulled her up with him, wrapping his arms around her. He held her like that for a few minutes, his own emotions coming out as well because of all the things she could have possible said to him, this one he understood, this one he'd been through as well, this one he knew how damaging was. And it felt surreal, standing in front of someone who'd been hurt the same way he had.

Without thinking, he gently grabbed her arms and brought them to the small of his back, placing his own hands over hers and slowly moving them up.

"They hurt me too", he murmured on her ear as both their hands explored the scars of his back. She pulled her head from his shoulder and looked at him, her blue eyes wide.

"An' ya ain't no damn less beautiful than ya are cuz of whateva they done to ya.. an' ya should never think any differently, ya don' give'em that", he told her, her gaze too intense for him to hold it.

He dropped his hands to his sides and dared watching her, her eyes stuck on his and her hands still running over his back.

And she sighed and crushed her lips on his, her arms going to the nape of his neck as she pulled him to her, kissing him deeply, her tongue moving back and forth against his and she grabbed one of his hands and placed it back on the hem of her tank top.


	13. Touch

Here you go, some happy times!

hope you enjoy it, and there's a smut warning for those who don't like it.

Have a nice week.

S.- 

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><p>Carol whimpered when his mouth assaulted her neck, his kisses hot and wet but tender in a way, or maybe it was how slowly he was lifting her tank top up, his fingers tracing every bit of skin that became uncovered.<p>

She shut her eyes close when she felt him reach the nasty scar that went from her lower belly to her ribs, the result of a particularly violent night with Ed she didn't want to remember, she didn't even find herself thinking of, her senses too focused on his soft and tentative touch. And it wasn't that she felt better because she'd found out he had scars too, but she couldn't deny it was a strange coincidence, a beautiful coincidence, even, as weird as it sounded… only because after all that, after whichever had been the reason, whoever the person who'd hurt him like that, after Ed and all the things he did to her on a daily basis, she was still letting him undress her, she was still thinking that maybe there was nothing wrong about her, about her body in the end.

"Jesus, ya taste like fuckin' heaven", he whispered on her ear, her tank top finally falling to the floor, and she suddenly became addicted to him talking to her like that, to him taking it slowly and so intensely at the same time.

She moved her hands back to the waistband of his jeans and teased him, her fingers travelling down the path of hair that went from his belly button to places she was sure she wanted to feel soon enough, her breathing fastening as he moved his mouth down her throat and sunk it on the valley of her breasts, still covered by the most decent bra she owned. He used both hands to unclasp her bra which joined the rest of their clothing on the floor, his mouth moving to catch one of her nipples and she shivered in anticipation, throwing her head back when she felt his tongue encircling it, a moan escaping from her lips.

"Daryl", she hissed when he gently sucked on her nipple, his hands going to her ass as he walked backwards, pulling her along.

"Hmm?" he mumbled and he moved to her other breast, licking and sucking on the skin there, his fingers playing with the button of her jeans until he finally unbuttoned them and started to slid them down, Carol kicking them out when they reached her ankles.

She swallowed hard, suddenly becoming self-conscious and a little nervous about how exposed she was, in nothing more than her panties when she hadn't been like that with a man for years, because Ed, well, he absolutely didn't count. He must have sensed it because he slowed down and rubbed his hands up her arms soothingly.

"Yer beautiful", he told her, looking down at her almost naked body, and she brought his face to hers just to keep him from looking at her, but he put both hands on her face to stop her.

"Naw, yer too damn pretty ta hide from me", he repeated, his hands travelling down her stomach and teasingly brushing over her panties.

She bit her bottom lip, speechless, because she could see in the way he was looking at her he really did mean it, and even when her body was begging her to reach his, she also felt too many different emotions arise. It felt like waking up after being numb for a long time, so lost in the misery Ed put her into that she'd forgotten about the woman she used to be, the woman she still was, and she didn't want her gone.

She reached for the button of his jeans, her eyes locked on his as she leaned in and kissed him hard, her tongue intruding his mouth and he turned her around, walking her to the bed clumsily while he kicked his boots and jeans off, his hands moving frantically all over her body. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid her on the bed, crawling over her and moving to lay on his side. She faced him and they both stood still for a few seconds, watching the other as she realized he still had his boxers on, and a sudden urge to touch him washed over her.

She moved her hands to the waistband of his boxers and slid them down, too eager to feel him as to take it any slower, her fingers wrapping around his full erection, and her eyes went wide open at the realization of how big he was, which turned her on even more.

"Oh wow..", she let out, looking at him, and he gave her a crooked smile in return, which she found adorable. She began to move her hand, slowly stroking him, and he buried his face on her shoulder, breathing heavily as he placed erratic kisses over the skin of her shoulder and neck.

"Oh, fuck.. Carol, stop", he begged in a harsh voice when she began to stroke him faster. He grabbed her wrist and took her hand in his, moving them to the hem of her panties and sliding them off as well.

"That ain't fair play..", he told her, his eyes stuck on hers as his hands lingered over her slit, just barely brushing against it.

"Why?" she managed to ask, swallowing hard in anticipation.

He raised a brow and applied a little more pressure, one of his fingers sliding along her slit, and the last thing she saw before shutting her eyes down was that crooked smile washing over his face.

"damn, yer so wet already", he whispered, taking her earlobe inside his mouth and sucking on it as he slid another finger and began to slowly touch her, tracing circles over her slit but deliberately avoiding to touch her in the most right places. She let out a moan and pushed her hips against his hand, but he just looked at her, his brows furrowed.

"Daryl…", she breathed, wrapping and arm around his back and pulling him to her.

"Yea?" he asked calmly, pressing his fingers against his clit for a second before quickly pulling away.

She closed her eyes, the unfamiliar yet recongnizable sensation of that pool of heat building somewhere in her lower belly washing over her.

"You're such a tease…", she mumbled, her hips unconsciously moving against her hand, and it apparently did something to him because he growled and started to rub his fingers against her clit.

"Ya gotta ask fer it, I ain't no mind reader", he whispered in a low voice, licking her neck as he fastened his touch.

"Oh, yes, just like that, touch me, please" she cried out, too lost in the overwhelming sensation. She opened her eyes and saw his were fixed on hers, the lust on them matching her own and she slid her hand down his stomach and took the boxers he was still wearing off, a smile spreading on her lips as she noticed he was still fully hard just out of touching her, the sudden need of feeling him inside her taking over her.

"Fuck me", she stated in a low voice, sliding her hard painfully slowly along his length, and he caught her lips with his and kissed her deeply, his tongue moving in and out and stroking hers.

A grin appeared on his lips when he broke the kiss, and it was so contagious she found herself smiling too.

"Thought ya'd never ask", he told her cheerfully, and she let out a little laugh, feeling dizzy and light headed.

It took Carol a while to understand why he suddenly stood up, but he got back just as quickly and crawled over her, positioning himself between her legs as he balanced in one hand and put the condom on with the other, his eyes never leaving hers.

He sat on his knees once he was done and stared at her questioningly, a sight Carol knew was going to stick in her mind for a long time. She nodded encouragely before he could ask anything, and he leaned over her, holding his cock in his hand and positioning it on her entrance. And she must have moved her hips because he growled and kissed her softly as he pushed himself inside her.

They both froze and moaned at the same time and he pulled back just as slowly to thrust into her again, going deeper this time, her legs instantly wrapping against his hips to take every inch of him in, his head burying in her neck as he digged on the skin there and began to move his hips to the sides and in circles, her eyes shutting down and her fingers tangling in his hair.

"Oh my god", she moaned as the heat in her belly grew and spreaded down her legs. She opened her eyes and his were on hers once more, narrowed and dark.

"Ya like it?" he whispered, and a wave of pleasure ran through her veins at the deep sound of his voice.

"oh, yes, faster", she commanded, and he growled and raised himself on his arms, thrusting harder into her, his gaze never leaving hers.

"Fuck, Carol, I'm fuckin' close", he moaned, and she felt her orgasm starting to build so she lifted her hips and moved them along, desperate to reach it.

"Oh, god, Daryl, don't stop", she cried out, her whole body trembling once the first wave of pleasure hit her, and then a second one and a third until she felt him growl in her ear and he finally dropped himself over her.

Her eyes were wide open, her whole body still tingling, and she watched him lazily open his eyes and place a kiss on her forehead. She smiled and brought her hands to his face, pulling him for a small kiss.

He gave her a groggy smile and rolled of her, laying on his back with his hands on his neck. Carol shifted on the bed as her breathing recovered, a little confused over what was supposed to happen now. She didn't know how it worked, but she sensed that maybe she should leave, and the fact that he was just laying there, seemingly oblivious to her presence after what had just happened, didn't tell her otherwise.

"umm, maybe I should leave soon?" she finally decided to ask him, shifting to lay on her side.

He looked down at her and chuckled, reaching for her hair with his hand.

"Damn, such an elegant way of tellin' me ya fuckin' hated it", he murmured.

"What?" she said, confused. "No! no.. Daryl, I.. that was.. I really liked it", she told him, images of what had just happened running through her head to the point of almost making her want to do it again right there.

He brought his arm to her shoulder and pulled her to him.

"Then wha' is it? Ya really gotta leave?" he asked her, his voice filled with clear disappointment.

"No, I mean, it's not that I have to, but.. huh, I don't know how this works, ok? Aren't I supposed to leave?" he frowned and she blushed, embarrassed by what it seemed was a stupid question.

Daryl propped himself up on his elbows and glared at her, his expression one that would have made her laugh in some other context.

"How what works? Hell… I figure it works however tha hell we want it to", he replied.

"And how is that?" she asked with a chuckle, hoping she didn't sound as stupid as she was feeling.

"Huh, I'm a lil' lost 'ere.. I mean, I don' know what ya talkin' bout exactly…" he said after a few seconds. "But, fer starters.. I wantcha ta stay tonigh'", he added, laying on his side and brushing his hand on her cheek.

"I can do that", she said, closing her eyes at the soft touch. She really didn't have to be home early tomorrow and if it really was up to her, she wanted to stay all damn day.

"Good", he told her. "An' then.. hell, I know this ain't exactly tha most romantic plan but, ya ever gone huntin'?"


	14. Deers

Here you go; another chapter. And we're moving forward.

Have a great weekend!

S.- 

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><p>"I ever what?!", Carol spatted, convinced that she was sleepy and had heard him all wrong. She propped up on her elbows, covering her naked chest with the sheets and looked up at him.<p>

He chuckled. "Hunting, woman", he told her simply, looking at her as if it was something most people normally did. Well, maybe so. They were in Georgia after all.

"And we kill them?" she asked, her brows forrowing in concern.  
>"If we can eat it, we kill it, yea". He yawned and caught her by the shoulder, pulling her towards him.<p>

"Or we don' kill 'em, whichever way ya want", he told her, his lips brushing over her forehead before her eyes closed, her legs tangling with his, both of them still naked underneath the sheets, and she eventually fell asleep.

* * *

><p>It was beginning to get light when she woke up, and the first thing she noticed was he wasn't there. She remembered then what he'd told her the other day, that he woke up at 5.30 every day, and she didn't think it was that early but she still didn't understand how he managed to be up, especially considering they hadn't exactly slept so many hours the night before.<p>

She would have expected to feel uncomfortable, even to regret all of it or to at least be scared about Ed finding out, but as she sat on the bed and got dressed, not ready for him to see her naked in the light yet, she realized she hadn't felt this good in a while. Months. Years. She absolutely didn't regret it, and as images of what'd happened last night in that bed came to her mind, she suddenly felt that desire arise again. She thought about getting him into bed and trying to make him forget about his plans, but he'd sounded so enthusiastic last night it'd been a little contagious, and as long as she got to spend time with him, she didn't exactly care what they'd be doing. Even when she didn't have the right outfit to go hunting whatsoever.

"Mornin'", she heard his deep voice say, and she looked up and saw him leaning against the door frame, his jeans hanging low on his hips and a coffee mug in his hand.

"Hi", she said shyly, taking him in. And for the first time the thought of what a guy like him could possibly find so interesting about a woman like her didn't cross her mind. He was gorgeous, no one could ever question that, and he could certainly be with one of those women she used to feel jealous of, either for their youth, their beauty, their attitude are all of them. Last night though he'd made her stop feeling sorry about herself, ashamed about those marks on her body. He'd made her believe, after a long time of being told otherwise, that she was so much more than that. He'd almost made her feel she could go ahead and tell him the truth about her. Almost.

"Ya wanna have some breakfast 'fore we leave?" he asked her, still standing by the door. His eyes flicked over hers and she noticed how bright they were, making him look refreshed even this early in the morning. She smiled. There was a boyish attitude about him that was cute and insanely attractive at the same time.

"Some coffee is just fine", she said, standing up and heading towards the door. She looked down at her sandals and wondered how she was going to walk through the woods or wherever they were heading, but she suddenly felt it was the best plan in the world.

"Am I supposed to be quiet?" she whispered as she walked behind Daryl, who carried a huge crossbow on his back, making him look sexy as hell. They were walking down a dirt path so it wasn't that hard to do it, even in her sandals, but she had to jog a bit to keep Daryl's pace, who walked fast and easily yet very silently, stopping to search in the ground for tracks.

"Yea, well, if we wanna hunt anythin' we should. Ya see this?" he told her, benting down and pointing to the floor. She mirrored him and looked at the ground, her eyes fixed on the bare soil. She could distinguish some shapes but she had no idea if they belonged to an animal or if they were the result of the leaves falling down.

"What is it?" she asked him with a frown.

"'s a deer. Been walkin' ere some minutes ago or so. See tha V shape? An' they are still fresh.. it started to run at some point, pro'bly heard us, see?", he explained her, pointing towards the other footprints down the path. They became clear to her now; to the point she couldn't believe she hadn't seen them before.

"Wow, yeah.. I do see them now", she said, impressed. "And you hunt them too?" She'd heard the meat was delicious but they were just too cute and she doubted she could go ahead and kill it if she ever ran into one.

"hell yea,.. they are hard ta find though.. if ya get one ya could eat for 2 weeks, plus they jus' taste fuckin' good", he told her as he stood up. "C'mon, ya go ahead an' try ta fin' more tracks, I'll be righ' behind ya", he said, stretching his hand out for her to stand up.

She smiled and continued to walk, her eyes fixed on the ground, marveled at the little footprints that she couldn't help but follow. She observed they turned to the right and then the grass was just too tall and she lost them, but she spotted a little pond surrounded by yellow wild flowers.

"Oh, wow", she muttered, stunned by the beauty of the place, being in contact with nature something she'd really enjoyed when she was a kid, but that she'd stopped doing at some point, probably after getting engaged with Ed. He'd always hated it just like he hated most things that didn't involve money and alcohol.

She heard a noise and immediately stepped backwards, bumping into Daryl's hard chest. She almost tripped but his hands instantly went to her shoulders, steading her.

"Keep quiet, I think it's somewhere ova there", he whispered in her ear. She shivered at the sensation of his warm breath on her skin, and did as he said; the noises increasing in frequency and sounding indeed like some animal walking on the grass. His hands suddenly moved down her sides and wrapped around her stomach as he pulled her further towards him, her back instantly warming as her stomach began to tingle, but she tried hard to focus on whatever was going to show up, her eyes fixed on the pond in front of them.

"Oh my god!" she bursted out, her hand going to her mouth as the animal leaped out the tall grass, its eyes flicking over them as it apparently decided they meant no harm and headed straight to the pond, benting its head down to drink some water. Carol instantly grabbed Daryl's arm, which was still wrapped around her waist.

"Please, don't kill it", she whispered, and he nodded behind her.

"I won't, it's a girl, that one", he replied, and she couldn't see him but she thought he also sounded amazed, even when he probably got to see them a lot more than she did.

The deer looked up at them one more time, and Carol could have sworn it fixed her eyes on hers before it turned around and headed back to where it'd come from until they could no longer see it.

"Oh my god, that was the prettiest thing I've ever seen!" she said in awe, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"Naw, that's gotta be you", he whispered softly on her ear once more, a chill running down her body as her hands went down to cover his and her body leaned towards him to the point she could feel every inch of his body pressed against hers.

He moved his mouth to her neck and placed a chapped kiss on the skin there, and she instantly tilted her head to the side, her hands running up his arms. He nuzzled his face on the crook of her neck, the tip of his tongue tracing the skin that went from her clavicle to her ear and she felt him grow hard behind her, her heart starting to beat faster and her body heating up despite the chilly air.

"Daryl", she hissed, slowly turning around, his piercing blue eyes flicking over her face as he caught her chin with his hand and leaned in, his eyes shutting down the second his lips met hers. He kissed her softly at first, his hands caressing her face and then moving painfully slowly down her sides to wrap around her waist. His teeth gently nipped at her bottom lip while one of his hands slipped behind her neck, holding her still as her lips parted and his tongue found its way inside her mouth, sliding against hers. She sighed in his mouth, her tongue tangling with his and her arms wrapping around his neck, her body arching into him, seeking for more contact.

Daryl dropped his hand off her neck and cupped her ass, pulling her straight against his erection. He groaned at the contact and kissed her jaw and her throat, another growl coming out of his mouth as she grinded against him. The friction was making her feel an unbelievable pleasure and a little frustration as well, the sudden need of stripping right there in the middle of the woods and just letting go. He moved his mouth back to hers and kissed her again, his hands moving to the waistband of her jeans as he slowly pulled apart.

"Damn", he said, his fingers absently brushing the skin of her stomach as a crooked smile spreaded over his lips. "Such a nice mornin'".

She let out a little laugh at his statement and just stared at him, speechless while her breathing slowed down.

"C'mon", he said, grabbing her hand. "Let's get us somethin' ta eat since ya didn' let me put tha' deer down".

* * *

><p>Carol didn't want to leave, but she was running out of excuses to stay, and she had to go back to Ed's house since Glenn had to work there all the afternoon. She couldn't just leave him outside, and she had no way of calling him. For the first time Ed wasn't the reason why she couldn't stay, since he wouldn't be there until Sunday afternoon, but she also figured that maybe she should leave him alone for a while, although if that was what he wanted, it didn't show at all.<p>

So they were now standing on his front yard, waiting for the cab. Daryl hadn't insisted about taking her home, but the way he was glancing at her every now and then got her thinking he was probably hoping she did ask him to take her. They hadn't seen each other that much but it'd always been uncomfortable when they had to say goodbye. Because it was always there, in the air, the sensation of something going wrong. She felt bad, all of a sudden. She felt it was unfair to hide all those things from him, but she had no idea about how she was supposed to handle it and that was another reason why she didn't want to go back to Ed's. She knew she'd start thinking about all these things, she knew she'd probably conclude that the best she could do was keeping her distance, even when right there, right now she felt it was simply impossible. She liked him. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to stay with him and find the courage or the insanity to leave everything and simply stay.

"Hey", he said suddenly, distracting her from all those thoughts.

She tried to smile at him, but she didn't know how effective the smile turned to be, because he furrowed his brows.

"How can I reach ya, I mean.. ya gonna call, ain't cha got a number so tha' I can call ya sometime?" He was biting his nail, his eyes flicking over her face as if he was trying to read her mind.

"I will call you", she told him. She knew she hadn't exactly sounded convinced and the last thing she wanted was him thinking it'd got something to do with him.

"Daryl.. I.." she added, trying to find words to explain. He was watching her carefully, his eyes never leaving hers. "This is what I can do", she told him, tentatively looking at him. "This, whatever it is, this is the best I can do, this is all I can give... for many reasons".

He sighed and brought his hands to his pockets, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"I take it", he said finally. "Whateva it is, I take it.. jus' don' disappear on me?" 


	15. Challenges

Another chapter here. Hope you enjoy it.

Have a nice week! 

S.-

* * *

><p>Carol wandered around the house, looking for any spot she might have forgotten to clean properly, but everything was gleaming and she frustratingly sat on the chair, tapping her foot nervously on the floor, her hands on her face. She didn't know what to do with the anxiety she was feeling and Glenn was still nowhere to be seen. It hadn't been an hour yet, and she already wanted to see Daryl. She already missed him and she'd absolutely forgotten how strong that feeling could be. It was sort of nice but exasperating at the same time, because now she didn't know when Ed's next trip was going to be. That was usually unpredictable. There could be months full of those trips to wherever it was that his "business" took place, and then they could suddenly stop and she'd be locked in the house for so long it almost drove her crazy. Or it completely did.<p>

So the minute she'd gotten to that house she hated so deeply, she started to clean it in lack of another distraction that'd keep her from thinking what it was that she was putting herself into. And it wasn't only her, it was him too. Because he was into her, so into her it surprised her and scared her but fascinated her at the same time. She wasn't one to believe in connections, not after Ed, not after he'd blown away any positive conception of love she'd ever had, even when she did know Ed didn't love her, never did. She didn't believe in those kind of things but she didn't have any other way of explaining what was going on with him, how was it possible that she missed and trusted and cared about someone she'd only seen four or five times. How could it be that he'd been hurt the same way she had, she permanently was, and that they hadn't had to talk about it to understand what it meant, how much it changed you.

She leaned against the counter and fought the sudden need of throwing every single plate to the floor, making them crush so loudly it'd give her another thing to momentarily worry about.

"Wow, what happened in here? Please don't tell me he's coming back earlier".

She doubted she had ever been so happy to hear Glenn's voice, and she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him so tightly he had to step back.

"Woah.. Carol, everything ok? Front door was open and I freaked out", he said, hugging her back.

"I'm fine". She pulled away from him and smiled. "I'm fine, maybe that's the problem? How crazy is it?" she chuckled and Glenn furrowed his brows.

"Uh, ok", he said slowly. "So let me get this straight: you're fine, you're feeling good, Ed isn't coming but you still cleaned the whole house up just because you felt like, nothing to worry about then?"

Carol shook her head, pacing across the kitchen.

"I saw Daryl yesterday, I did like you said. And I just… all I want to do now is seeing him again. I got back here, and I didn't know why I got back here, so I began to get anxious and I cleaned the whole house up because I didn't want to think of anything, of all the things that could go wrong, of the fact that I don't know when I'm going to be seeing him again". She spoke so fastly she had to stop to catch some air.

"And why did you come back then? If Ed's not coming until tomorrow", he asked her, confused.

"Because… because I knew you were coming and you didn't have the keys!" Carol replied, matter- of-factly.

"And you should have just left me there, outside! Would have been damn worth it", Glenn told her with a laugh. "Carol, go get dressed, alright? I don't know what's going to happen either, but it's just good, seeing you like this", Glenn said, putting both of his hands on her shoulders.

"I don't know Glenn", she said, but a smile spreaded on her lips and she just couldn't fight it.

"Listen, ok? Call me an idiot? But I think these kinds of things just can't end up badly. May be universe conspirancy or whatever you want… but they just can't", he stated reassuringly.

"Glenn, it isn't that simple, you know that", she told him, looking down.

"We both know that! But maybe… maybe this time it is. Ed isn't around; you get to do whatever the hell you want, you finally get to do that! And if it involves someone who makes you feel good, then you just go for it, what is it there to question Carol?!"

She looked at Glenn and he was so sure of what he was saying she just couldn't contradict him. And she knew he wouldn't just tell her to go for it if he wasn't convinced. He did know all the things that could go wrong, more than anyone he did, he would never put her in danger, yet he was still encouraging her to do it.

"Ok", she said finally, the smile slowly turning into a grin.

"Go change, do whatever you have to do. I'm driving you there", he told her, and Carol's eyes went wide.

"No, you're not!" she replied, and they both started to laugh.

"I won't do anything, I promise. I'll just take you there and get back here to work. It's not that I'm getting down the car and introducing myself, Carol", he said, rolling his eyes. "I do want to meet him though, eventually".

"What?!", she spatted, going through the clothes she owned in the back of her mind to think of something to wear.

"You heard me!", he told her with a snort. "Think about it. Maybe we can get together sometime, with Maggie or something? Could be in my place, his place, somewhere safe. It'd be cool! I'm not saying it's gotta be now, but I'm serious about meeting him".

"God, you sound like my dad… and you're like 10 years younger than me", Carol said, laughing. "Alright, I'll be right back", and with that she headed upstairs.

* * *

><p>Carol nervously knocked on the door, hoping he would be home and he wouldn't be busy. Hoping, really, he'd be as happy to see her as she already was. She hadn't called him, partly because he'd told her he didn't have plans, but now that she was standing there in his front yard for the second time in the day, she hoped he didn't find it invasive. She decided she should have called and she started to feel nervous.<p>

He opened the door a minute later, and even when he did look surprised, she couldn't figure whether he looked happy about it or simply… surprised. He leaned against the door frame, keeping from opening the door completely, a hint of nervousness on his face.

"Oh, hey...", he muttered. "Didn' think ya was comin'". He turned his head slightly to look inside the house and then stared back at her.

"Oh, jesus.. I'm sorry. I should have called", she said nervously, shifting from one foot to the other and figuring he already had company, because it was pretty obvious now how he was avoiding to open that door.

"Nah.. I mean, I jus' didn' know ya was comin'.. 's all, I.. huh..". He finally stepped outside, careful not to close the door behind him.

"I understand, Daryl. You owe me no explanation. I'm just going to leave, I'm sorry", she said, trying to keep her voice straight and sound ok even when she knew her face probably told otherwise.

"Who tha hell is it lil' brotha?! it's yer damn turn!" she suddenly heard a male voice yell from inside the house, and she raised her brows, relieved at least to find out it wasn't a woman who was keeping him company.

"Ma brotha.. an' his.. huh, and Andrea, they came fer dinner, that's all. Sorry, he's jus' an asshole most 'f tha time, ya can come in, 'f course.. I'm not so sure yer gonna enjoy his company though", he said with a chuckle.

She smiled at him and let out a breath. "Oh, no Daryl, it's ok. Really, I should have just called. I don't want to interfere with your plans, it's good. We can get together some other time". She told him, and she meant it now.

He surprised her by catching her forearm before she turned around, his hand softly going up her arm.

"Only reason ya should have called is I'd have told 'em ta get tha fuck outta 'ere… come on", he said, taking her hand and walking her inside.

"You sure?" she whispered, nervous now over the prospect of meeting Daryl's brother and this Andrea person, although she didn't have many options by now.

"Hey", he whispered, turning around to face her. He leaned over then and placed a small kiss on her lips, but it was enough for her to start grinning. "I'm glad ya came Carol, I've been thinkin' bout seein' ya since ya left. I jus' freaked out cuz Merle.. he's… huh.. ya gonna see it yerself I s'posse".

"Wel well well! What we got 'ere?!" she heard the same voice that'd called him earlier say. Daryl moved to her side and she came face to face with his brother, who was looking at her defiantly, his hands on his hips. He looked older and was bigger built than Daryl, although he had that same mischievous expression in his eyes when he smiled. And he was grinning at her now. She didn't need to exchange further words with him to understand, at least partially, what Daryl referred to when he'd said his brother was something. It didn't matter though. She was up for the challenge. They seemed to be her new thing lately.


	16. All I want to know

Hey people. I'm back, finally, and I'm sorry for taking too long to continue this. I've been on a field trip for almost a month, and it took me a while to catch up.

I hope you still enjoy this story and this new chapter :)

have a good week!

S.-

* * *

><p>Never would have Daryl guessed he'd be having a Saturday dinner with a woman he'd been seeing for so short, and his brother. He'd have never said, either, there would be any chance of actually enjoying himself, relaxing as if it was the most cotidian thing in the world. And part of the reason was Merle wasn't being his usual self, or at least he wasn't showing that annoying attitude he usually carried, which left only the funny, outgoing and charming Merle he couldn't deny was fun to be around.<p>

And Carol was definitely having fun. She kept bringing her hand to her mouth, her eyes narrowing as she bursted out laughing over anything Merle said. In fact, she seemed to be having such a good time that Daryl wondered if she ever did this kind of thing, talking to other people, getting together even if it was over some heated leftovers from lunch. Nothing too fancy, the way everything in his life was. And he liked to see her like this. He liked that she seemed to like him, his shitty apartment… she liked him despite his nasty scars and now she apparently liked his asshole brother too. He knew, though, there were things she constantly tried to hide. It was strange because it sounded almost like if she was automatically set to give answers that kept her from revealing the simplest things, like where she lived, what she did for a living. Daryl understood it at some point because he wasn't one to enjoy talking about himself either. He wouldn't go ahead and ask her neither because he respected whichever reason she had to be that way, but at the same time he couldn't help but thinking they'd eventually have to talk about it if this went anywhere further.

Daryl had had his share of women in his life, never been a problem finding himself some, either for a night or to try and see where it went, but at the same time, it'd never been a big concern for him. Nothing more than a little company, none of them important enough as to worry or feel hurt, not for a second, if it just ended, which turned to be the reason why they usually told them to fuck off and left afterwards. But now and even when he hardly knew her, he felt he didn't want her gone. He actually hated that tomorrow was Sunday and it probably meant he wouldn't be seeing for the whole week, maybe even longer.

And the minute that Andrea started to pick up the empty plates and bring them to the kitchen, Carol following her right behind, mumbling something about helping her and how she hadn't brought anything for dinner, Daryl cleared his throat, unable to avoid the questioning look Merle was giving him, his arms crossed against his chest.

"What?" he spat, rolling his eyes.

"How come ya never told us 'bout yer little girlfriend over there, lil brotha?" Merle asked, a little too loud, with that cocky smirk plastered on his face.

"She ain't ma girlfriend, plus... what gotcha thinkin' I gotta tell ya every single thing I do?" he replied defiantly, knowing that his brother wouldn't just drop the subject anyway.

"She ain't yer usual type.. nice ass though.. ya fuckin' er or what?" Merle lighted a cigarrete and drank all the whiskey that remained in his glass and Daryl suddenly wondered if they planned on leaving anytime soon or if they were going to have to hang out with them until he drank the rest of that damn bottle of whiskey.

"Merle..", Daryl hissed, scared that Carol might have heard him. He could hear the women talk in the kitchen and he wondered if a similar conversation was taking place there.

"I ain't fuckin' er.. I mean.. hell, I don' know what tha hell this is jus' yet. I kinda like 'er though", Daryl admitted, the confession making him blush harder than he thought it would.

"We could all see that Darylena", Merle said with a chuckle. "Some time ago I'd have told ya not ta waste yer damn time but now tha' I found a nice piece of ass maself, it got me thinkin' some of 'em might be worth it… can ya fuckin' believe it?", he finished with a snort.

"Damn.. not really..", Daryl commented, chuckling as well. And he didn't know why after 34 years he still cared that much about his brother's opinion, but he couldn't help but feeling relieved over Merle's words. At his acceptance over this woman he didn't know what to do about yet.

And the second the women came out of the kitchen and walked to the dining room, Andrea pretty much dragged Merle towards the front door, muttering something about being tired and having to wake up early the next day to check on some numbers, even though everyone was well aware that it was Sunday. She gave Carol a quick hug and turned around to wink at Daryl as she waved goodbye and commented they should get together some other time.

Daryl closed the door and turned around, watching Carol sitting on the coach, her legs crossed and a relaxed smile on her lips.

"Hey", she said, looking up at him and handing him a beer can, which he took as he sat next to her. And it felt strange but good at the same time, so good he didn't even realize at which point he'd slid his arm around her shoulder and rested his back further against the couch, pulling her towards him. His heart was still beating fast either as a consequence of that unexpected reunion or of the feeling of her face buried on the crook of his neck.

"Merle seemed pretty nice to me", he heard her say then, her hair brushing against his cheek as she looked up at him.

"Yea, well... he can be, only if he wants to. Most 'f tha time he's jus' .. huh, different I guess", he commented absently, tangling his fingers in her short hair.

"Andrea was so nice too.. they been seeing each other for a long time?" Carol asked. He definitely didn't have anything against Merle or Andrea, who were the only people he actually gave a fuck about, but the truth was, he couldn't care less about them in that moment, when there finally seemed to be no rush, no hurry. When, maybe, he could finally talk, ask, say whatever it was that he wanted to say even when he didn't know what that was or how to begin himself.

"Hell, I dunno.. reckon it depends on whatcha call seein' someone", he bursted out without thinking, and she let out a little laugh, seemingly anaware of his attemps to bring the subject up.

"It looked that way to me", Carol said simply.

Daryl let out a breath, which came out a little too loudly and got Carol pulling apart and looking at him. He couldn't believe asking such a simple question could be so complicated to him, but he'd always been hard headed and when his mind was set on something he couldn't drop it. Not until it was done.

"Are ya?" he asked, avoiding looking at her at first but finally giving up and turning his head towards her side.

Her expression was unreadable, even to him. He flicked his eyes over her face, starting to regret having asked that. It was just a simple question, no big deal, but the problem was, he was too scared of the answer she might give him.

"Daryl…", she started to say, but then she went silent and it looked like she was fighting to let the words come out of her mouth. "It's more complicated than that", she added, and he sighed and drank the rest of his beer from the can.

"Look, Carol… I know that, alrite? I mean, it ain't never simple, and I sure as hell know that. But, ya see.. it's all ya keep sayin'… that it's complicated, its all ya ever say". He scratched his head and glanced at her. "At least I wanna know why".

"I know Daryl", she said softly. "And I know I shouldn't have put you into this, that's exactly why maybe the smartest decision is just stopping this… I should have probably never started it to begin with, but it just.. it felt right".

He watched her expression slowly change, her eyes turning almost watery and he couldn't stand it. He brought his hand to her face and down to her chin, making her look at him.

"Carol, ya didn't put me into anythin'. Ya always said it was complicated an' it was me who didn' go anywhere. I wanna stay, I'm stayin'". Without thinking he leaned in and kissed her softly, but quickly, instantly pulling apart.

She gave her a small smile, but the expression on her eyes didn't change, and he decided that now that they were finally talking about this, there was no turning back. If she really wanted to stop it, if she really thought it'd be better if she left, then there was only one thing he needed to know.

"Yer married", he stated. "In a relationship, whateva. I ain't stupid, I figured tha' out pretty quickly", he added, his eyes lingering on her face, waiting, hoping she told him he was wrong. But she didn't. "and honestly", he continued, "I don' fuckin' care, cause there's a reason ya kept on seein' me".

Carol's eyes were fixed on his, her expression stoic, almost determined not to reveal anything.

"All I wanna know is, whoever tha hell he is, he ain't tha one who did those things to ya", he said finally.


	17. Sad coincidences

Another chapter for you, and moving forward with this story! hope you enjoy. there's still a more to come and I warn you that it won't be that easy. Hope I  
>don't dissapoint you.<p>

S.-

* * *

><p>"All I wanna know is, whoever tha hell he is, he ain't tha one who did those things to ya", Carol heard him say. She quickly understood which things he was talking about, and she had seconds to decide what she was going to say to him. Seconds to make a decision that could potentially change her whole life.<p>

But it wasn't only about her. It was also that telling him the truth meant getting him involved. She knew he wouldn't just sit and watch how a man she was married to did that to her. And she didn't want to even start imagining where that could lead. Paradoxically, she'd been dreaming with the day the opportunity to leave Ed showed up. She'd probably even been seeking for that opportunity all this time.

"I'm trying to get away from him...", was the first thing she came out with, her voice trembling.

He furrowed his brows. "Ya didn' answer ma question", he stated.

"No", she lied. "Not anymore". She wanted to burst out crying, stand up and get away from there, back to the life that scared her every day, but not as much as trying to fight it did.

"Ya live wit' him?" he insisted. His voice was getting louder with every question, and she could see he was losing his patience. Maybe he'd be disappointed now that he'd found out how weak she was, and decided to leave himself.

"He's been travelling a lot lately", she explained hurringly. His eyes had turned cold like ice and he seemed lost in his own thoughts, chewing on his bottom lip until he abruptly stood up and got a cigarrette from the pack on the table.

He stood up in front of her, a blur of smoke in between them.

"Let's go", he said, his voice softer this time.

"What? Where?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Let's go and get your stuff", he said, and he really made it sound like if it was the simplest of things, going back to the house and getting her stuff. Leaving.

"You don't understand Daryl…", she told him, shaking her head, tears starting to roll down her face.

"I pro'bly understan' more than ya can imagine", he answered calmly, without moving. "Let's go. We'll figure out the rest", he insisted.

"No!" she yelled frustratingly, standing up to face him. "You don't know him, Daryl, you don't. He's… he'd find me, he's dangerous, he'd find me and you too and..." She began to sob and he instantly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest, her head sinking on his shoulder as she cried her heart out. A few minutes passed before she calmed down, her body still surrounded by his strong arms.

"I can't just leave", she told him in between sobs, rubbing her eyes with her hands to wipe the tears off.

"Carol, listen ta me", he whispered, cupping her chin with both his hands. "He' find me an' what? Ya think he could do somethin' ta me? Ya can leave, ya can stay 'ere fer a while, we figure out how ta handle this shit, whichever way ya want. Yer jus' not goin' back there. Ya can't do that, I can't let ya do that".

She wanted to believe him, but deep inside she knew he was wrong. It wasn't that simple. It never was.

"You don't know him Daryl, you don't know who you're talking about. And yes, he'd hurt you if he found out. He'd probably kill you", she insisted, a few more tears threatening to roll down the corner of her eyes.

But he didn't even flinch when he heard that statement. He surprised her instead by snorting, dropping his arms to his side and looking up the ceiling. "Ya think I never dealed with sick men like 'im? Ya think they scare me away? Me an' Merle.. we know 'em pretty damn well. Maybe I didn' know what tha hell ta do when I was a kid, but I ain't thirteen no more, I can fuckin' handle 'em".

She swallowed hard. It hadn't crossed her mind that his scars may hide a similar story than hers did.

"You wouldn't… you're not that kind of man", she said grabbing his arm, hating the sudden distance between them.

"I can be when I have ta", he told her, his expression so serious it made her step back.

Carol sat back on the couch, her body still shaking over the conversation they'd just had. It was real, she'd finally told him, and it was taking her mind some time to process it all, but the relief she felt deep inside was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. And for the first time in a while, too, she felt safe, even when nothing had changed. She didn't know for how long, she didn't know what was going to happen tomorrow and odds were the future held nothing good for her, but just knowing there was someone there who cared, someone willing to go through a lot of things just to help her made things better now. It was just a sensation, but it helped. And suddenly she had the uncontrollable need of talking, spitting it all out.

"I married him four years ago. I don't know why, I mean… we dated for a year, and it was ok, just ok", she began saying, watching him walk towards the couch and sit next to her.

"Nothing fantastic, no sparks or anything… just a man who seemed to like me by then, who seemed to be settled… you know, with his work, his type of man everyone would tell you to marry right away, my friends back then, my family. And all my life I'd always just pictured myself married, it was kind of… my idea of happiness or of a good life". Her eyes were fixed on the wall in front of her as she talked but she could feel his stuck on her face.

"And the first months, everything went fine, I mean, the same way dating him had been… it was sort of implicit that I had to do the cooking and the cleaning and that I didn't get to go out as much as he did… I've been raised by old fashioned parents so that wasn't really a surprise to me; it was just the way it was supposed to be. I was studying to become an art teacher by then, and soon enough he talked to me into quitting, told me I had no reason to work when he was earning so much money, and for me it sounded almost as a compliment, as if he wanted to take care of me, so I accepted, and I left college". She turned around to glance at him. "That was the first mistake of many, maybe if I'd realized, by then, if I'd noticed something… it would have been easier to leave, but I just didn't".

She watched him listen to her quietly, nodding every now and then.

"It all started to happen so abruptly it didn't even give me time, you know? to process it all, to actually believe all that shit was happening to me … and I do know he's a sick man, I know it's got nothing to do with me, but I blame myself… I always have, because I could have stopped it while I still could, when I wasn't trapped. And now, believe me Daryl, now I don't see a way out of this".

A single tear rolled down her face and he quickly wiped it off with his thumb.

"Ya know, ma old man, he used ta beat me prob'ly since tha day I was born", he said suddenly, "got worse after our ma passed away, never stopped.. and he used ta drink too, so.. go figure", he added with a chuckle. "It was always harder wit' me, but Merle's got'imself a couple 'f nice scars as well".

"Why?" she couldn't help but ask. "Why was he harder on you?"

"Reckon there ain't never a valid answer when it comes to people like that.. jus' because? Maybe cause he thought Merle was more kinda like himself, an' I was tha soft one, tha odd guy, hell.. I got no idea", he answered with a shrug.

"I was supposed ta hunt, bring food to tha house, an' most 'f tha time I did.. never went ta school, even when I liked it.. I used ta hide sometimes, in tha woods, stay there fer days, away from home, but he always found me somehow, he used ta tell me I'd never get rid of him, that he was fuckin' immortal". He snorted, and Carol blinked several times to get rid of the images of Daryl as a little boy, hiding in the woods, scared that his dad may find him.

"Fuck, I swear, I still kinda believe he is", he said, shaking his head. "tha point is, it jus' kept gettin' worse, an' I wasn' a kid no more.. but I didn' know what tha hell ta do, an' Merle.. he spent half his time in juvie, or drinkin' somewhere, gettin' high.. wasn' very helpful back then. One day, though, he found out I'd gone to school.. beated me 'til he nearly fuckin' killed me when I got back home, I was 16 when that happened. I passed out fer a couple 'f hours, woke up on ma own bed, saw Merle sleepin' on his."

Carol didn't know what was coming, but she instinctively covered her mouth with her hand. Of couse, she knew about abuse, but she couldn't imagine how hard it might have been when it came from a child's own father.

"I remember I didn' know if I was dead.. or dreamin' or what tha fuck was goin' on.. ma head pulsed, everythin' was blurry. I stood up and walked ta Merle's bed, woke 'im up. told 'im tha' I was leavin', said he should decide pretty quickly what he was gonna do". He scratched his beard and looked up the celing. "If that wasn' a damn secon' chance.. then I don' know what tha hell is one".

"Meanwhile I went through tha house, grabbed whateva I found.. some money, a gun.. son 'f a bitch was out, pro'bly thought he'd killed me. I was almost by tha door when I saw Merle comin'." He lighted a cigarette and shifted his body to face her. "An' we left togetha".

"You never saw him again?" Carol asked him, searching for the hand tha rested on his lap.

He shook his head. "We've been movin' from one place to anotha since then.. I went back to Atlanta once though, pro'bly 5 years ago, I felt I was goin' to run into 'im, felt fuckin' paranoid tha whole time. But nope. Never saw him again. I heard he's been in and outta jail a couple 'f times, nothin' more". He was absently running his thumb on her palm as he talked, some sort of sadness in his eyes she'd seen before, and she understood it now.

She'd never believed in destiny but it got hard to find another explanation for that strange and sad coincidence between them.

"I guess what I'm tryin' ta say is.. there's always a way out. Jus' cause ya don' see it don't mean it ain't there".


	18. Through the door

Ok, please don't hate me!

S.-

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><p>Carol looked at Daryl, who was looking back at her, no sign of anger in his gaze, no sign of pity, just understandment and, even when she almost didn't allow herself to admit it, there was also something in his eyes that looked a lot like love, or maybe just affection. His hand was loosely holding hers, their intertwined fingers resting on his lap. She felt exhausted and overwhelmed; her body almost automatically leaned towards his, a tired sigh coming from her lips when her head reached his shoulder. He chuckled and she looked up, noticing he looked almost as tired as she felt, the bags under his eyes more noticeable than they usually were.<p>

"Come 'ere", he said, wrapping his arm around her. She closed her eyes, his scent invading her senses. He smelled manly, like herbs and woods without needing those horrible colognes Ed wore, and she couldn't help but nuzzling her head in the crook of his neck. She wanted to kiss him, sink her teeth on his ear, but she didn't want him to think she was a freak for getting turned on after having shared her awful story. It wasn't that. It was that her mind was still racing and she wanted it to stop, to forget, at least for now. She wanted him on top of him, strong and protective and incapable of hurting her even in her most vulnerable condition.

He tilted his head, letting out a breath as her nose and mouth lingered along his neck, planting a soft kiss on his clavicle, testing the waters. He reacted immediately, his hand moving to tangle his finger on her short hair as he lowered his head, his lips almost toching hers. His fingers moved to hold her chin, softly but firmly, slightly lifting her head up, her eyes meeting his until they shutted close and they kissed, his other arm moving to her waist to pull her closer to him.

"Yer gonna be fine", he whispered on her lips, his tongue tracing the shape of her lips. "We're gonna be jus' fine", he added and she shuddered, her lips parting to let him in, her tongue slowly moving inside his mouth until it reached his. And they kept on making out, her hands moving to his chest and down his stomach, his hands gripping her sides and pulling her to his lap, his heavy breathing and groans telling her he might have needed this just as much as she had. His mouth left hers and travelled down the column of her throat, his fingers digging on her hips and she moaned on his hair and wrapped her legs around him.

"Daryl", she breathed, her nails sinking on his back when she felt his mouth wrap around her nipple, his fingers clumsily unbuttoning her black shirt. He stopped and brought his face back to hers, his eyes dark with lust.

"Yea?" he said huskily, his back leaning against the coach as he unbuttoned the last button of her shirt and uncovered her upper body, her stomach flat and smooth despite a diagonal scar that went from her belly button and got lost under her jeans.

"Let's go to your bedroom?" she asked, becoming a little self-conscious as his eyes travelled up and down her frame, his hands on her waist.

He gave her a shy smile that didn't match the intensity of his eyes and stood up, holding her hand.

"Ya wanna sleep already?" he asked teasingly, and she laughed as she followed him. No, she didn't want to sleep. That would make the morning come too quickly, and she wasn't ready for that.

When they reached his bedroom, he didn't bother to turn the lights on. He unceremoniously took his shoes and t-shirt off and crawled inside the bed, and she figured since her shirt was almost off she better follow him suit. She lay on her back and he quickly leaned over her on his forearm, the pale light that came from outside outlining his rough but handsome features.

His hand travelled down her stomach until he reached the hem of her jeans, unbuttoned them and slid the zipper down, watching her the whole time. She lifted her hips and let him slid her pants down, her eyes fixed on his and her heart hammering, her skin complaining about the distance between them. He brought his hand to her face and kissed her then, his tongue quickly intruding her mouth, hot and insistent; his fingers lingering too close to the center of her panties and a powerful tingling began to spread between her legs, the need to feel his hands, his body pressed against her washing all over her. His mouth followed the path of his fingers and she couldn't keep her body still when his tongue swirled around her belly button and then continued his way further down until it reached her hipbone. She shivered in anticipation, although she wasn't certain what he was going to do and she didn't even know how comfortable she felt with his mouth going… down there, something she had done when she was younger but that she didn't even remember how it felt like now. His finger curled on the waistband of her panties and began to slowly slide them down, his mouth kissing the skin as he uncovered it and softly biting her inner thigh, which made her back arche.

"Daryl", she called him almost warningly, and he looked up at her. "Shh, jus' relax", he told her confidently, and she trew her head back, the sound of his deep voice sending electric vibes all over her body. His mouth travelled up her thigh and brushed against her slit, causing her to spread her legs. He slowly slid his tongue along her slit then and she moaned loudly, her hips lifting up and her brain going blank after wondering for a brief second how this could possibly feel that good. He pressed his palms flat on her hipbones, steading her as his tongue encircled her clit, and she surprised them both when she brought her hands to his hair, pushing his head slightly against her.

"Fuck, ya taste so good, an' yer so wet", he whispered as he quickened his pace. Her legs were moving frantically and she felt her that slow burn starting to build deep inside her. "Oh my god, Daryl", she cried out, which made him speed up. Her eyes opened for a second and then shutted close and it was there, strong and spreading all over her body.

He might have felt it too, because he stopped, leaving a few kisses on his way up her body, his forearms resting on both her sides as he lay on top of her.

"Ya liked it?" he asked innocently, benting his head down to kiss her. She could feel her taste in his mouth and it was surprisingly arousing.

"God, that was amazing", she said back, her eyes still closed. He rolled off her then and opened the drawer of his night table. "Come here", she commanded lazily, and he chuckled and crawled back to her, a condom in his hand.

"Ya sure ya wanna do this?" he asked, and she arched her back and unhooked the clip of her bra, the strips sliding down her shoulders. "I'm sure", she said, looking at him. He instantly brought his mouth and kissed the outline of her breast, sucking softly on her nipple as he put the condom on. He thrusted all the way into her, slow and deep, his tongue still sucking and licking her breasts, her legs wrapping around his waist, feeling she didn't want it soft and gentle.

"Damn Carol, ya feel so good, taste so good, all of ya", he said, panting on her ear, his hips rocking against hers. She brought his mouth to hers and kissed him hard, their tongues matching the rhtym of their bodies. "Harder Daryl", she said on his mouth, and he groaned and slammed his body against hers.

"Fuck, ya talk ta me an' I'll be done in a second", he said in between breaths, his thrusts becoming faster and deeper,his mouth leaving erratic kisses on her face. It also got her close when he talked, and she begun to feel that unmistakable burn building once more low on her stomach.

"God, Daryl, just like that, don't stop, please, don't stop", she hissed, her hips moving against his. He growled loudly, thrusting into her one more time and she came, dropping her arms to her sides as the orgasm washed all over her body. She felt him come the next second and he dropped his head on her chest, rising and falling for a few minutes until her breathing evened.

She tangled her fingers on her sweaty hair, still dizzy about all that happened, about everything that had taken place in his house that night.

"I could pro'bly sleep fer 10 hours straight", he said with a chuckle, rolling off her and laying on his back, his arms behind his head.

"And then we could wake up, do this again, and sleep for another 10 hours, right?" she joked, cuddling next to him.

"Hell yea. An' get some pizza in tha meantime", he commented sleepily, stroking her hair until her eyes started to grow heavy with sleep as well.

* * *

><p>She didn't know what time it was, but it was still dark, and her throat felt dry. It was what'd woken her up in the first place, and she'd also been dreaming of something she couldn't remember right now. She sat on the bed, watching Daryl laying on his back, deeply asleep, a smile escaping from her lips as she took him in, his broad shoulder, his smooth, muscular back.<p>

She got off the bed and started to get dressed, careful not to make any sound, even when she knew he'd probably hear her. She felt thirsty and she figured she'd go to the kitchen and get some water, the room so dark she almost couldn't find the way out.

"Carol?" he said groggily, and she looked up at him and saw he hadn't moved.

"I'm just going to get some water", she said, walking towards him and kissing his head.

He mumbled something she didn't catch and she chuckled, thinking he was also cute in some strange way. The perfect man, so contrasting with the rest of her life it almost felt overwhelming. She walked through his bedroom's door and suddenly she remembered it. The dream. Why she'd gotten fully dressed just to get some water. And she kept on walking. She didn't want to stop, she couldn't stop, because if she did, she'd turn around and go straight back to him. She'd go back to him and never ever leave him, no matter what happened.

She opened the front door and closed it behind her, careful not to make too much noise. She sighed and couldn't help it, couldn't stop the tears from coming, and she rested her back against the door, her hands going to her face as she tried to calm down. She let them all come, watched them as they hit the cement, her whole body shuddering and she slid down the door and bented down her knees,too weak, too broken to even stand up.

"Come on, Carol. Come on, girl", she said between sobs. She looked around: it was completely dark, the streets empty and silent and she stood up and began to walk. She began to distance herself from that house she was positive she'd never see again.


	19. Complicated

Just a chapter to get inside Daryl's thoughts... not much action here, but we'll have lots of it in the next chapters.

S.-

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><p>Daryl hadn't gotten much sleep the last 5 days, hoping she might come back just as silently and unexpectedly as she'd left, as he'd first met her. He'd hated her when he woke up that morning. He knew it was wrong but it'd been how he felt, almost cheated on, betrayed, having opening his heart and sharing a place and time of his life he fought every day to leave behind just to end up alone and scared of what might happen to her. He'd cursed for getting involved so easily, dragged into her in a way he usually avoided exactly for things like this. It led to hurt, one way or another, and now the least of his problems what that he missed her, that his heart had broken a little even when he'd never admit it.<p>

After 5 days of thinking and overthinking and taking all the rage out with ceilings and roofs, he'd decided she'd made her choice after all. There was nothing he could do about it simply because she hadn't wanted it be that way, didn't matter if his husband was as dangerous as she'd told him countless times or if she'd ended up believing she was too weak to leave him. Hell, there was even the possibility she didn't want to leave him, the way his own mother had never opted to leave Jack just because she felt she deserved the abuse or something as sick as that.

None of it mattered, but his feet were dragging him towards the only person he felt he could openly talk about it.

"Work in tha Grimmes house 's pretty much done..", he told Andrea as he walked inside his office, the noise of his heavy boots making her jump on her chair. She left the sheets she was filling aside and smiled at him.

"Daryl, it's good to see you", she greeted him. "Yes, I know, I just got a call from Rick Grimmes. He was thrilled with the job you guys did", she said with a chuckle.

"Yea.. well, did nothin' but what had ta be done", he grunted in response, collapsing on the chair in front of her.

He watched her stare at him and he knew what was coming. The funny part, though, was that he'd gone there just so she went ahead and asked him, just so she made him talk about what happened. It wasn't like him, but he just couldn't get it out of his head, to the point it felt it burned inside and it'd kill him if he just didn't let it out. He'd always liked talking to Andrea, always found it easy than talking to Merle or anyone else. She understood him in levels his brother didn't, and she made him feel comfortable enough to go ahead and say whatever was on his head without feeling ridiculous. They'd become friends pretty soon after they met, and he still considered they were, even when most of the times they saw each other Merle was always with them, which was fine by Daryl anyway.

"How are you Daryl? You've disappeared on us", she pointed out, going straight to the coffee machine to make them both a big cup of coffee.

"I didn' disappear", he said with a sigh. "I was jus'.. ya know, busy", he lied, leaning towards the table to take the mug of coffee. "Thanks", he muttered, taking a sip.

"Busy?" she asked, raising her brows. "Merle told me it was over with Carol, is it? That's too bad. I really did like her", she told him sincerely. "And you looked happy, those days you've been with her", she added, something inside Daryl clenching when he heard those words.

"Yea, well, shit happens", he said, shrugging dismissively. "Nothin' I can do 'bout it anyway", he commented then, daring to lift his eyes and look at her.

"You think so? I mean, what happened anyway?" she insisted. She knew him and so she knew she had to push a little for him to say how he really felt.

"I dunno, Andrea.. it's jus'.. it's complicated, alrite?" he chuckled when he heard himself use the same word Carol always chose to describe her situation.

Andrea furrowed her brows. "So complicated I wouldn't understand? Don't bullshit me, Daryl, we're adults here, there's little you and I haven't seen or heard". She crossed her arms around her chest and leaned on the chair, looking at him.

"She's married, but it ain't jus' that..", he said in a resigned voice. "Hell, it feels even weirder sayin' out loud.. "

Andrea didn't say anything, even when she looked surprised, and just nodded slightly, encouraging him to talk.

"I don' know who tha hell 'er husband is.. but I do know he beats 'er, saw tha scars first an' then I asked 'er if she was married or what tha hell was goin' on, cause I could tell somethin' was wrong.. I jus', I didn't put it all together 'til she told me both things". He looked up and took a deep breath.

"Jesus…", Andrea spat, horrified. "That _is _complicated", she added, giving him some credit. "Wht happened though? She won't leave him?"

"Naw, I think it ain't that..", he said, chewing on his thumb. "I think she's jus' scared ta leave 'im, kept sayin' he was dangerous or some shit.. then I talked, hell, I don' recall havin' talked tha' much in my whole life, but I told 'er she could leave 'im, stay wit' me, that I could deal wit' whateva tha fucker did, that she could too". He started to feel upset so he stopped and drank from the mug of coffee even though it was cold. Andrea was still staring at him, looking as confused as he felt, so he swallowed hard and tried his best to explain it all better.

"I told 'er we should jus' go and get 'er stuff, I knew she needed some time to process it an' all that shit, but I thought.. I thought I'd convinced 'er to some point. One thing led to anotha' though and we went ta sleep, she was gone when I woke up".

It was the first time he said it out loud and he realized it hurt more than he thought, not only the fact that she'd left, but the way she did it. It felt unfair even when he knew she was in no position to be judged.

"Oh my god, Daryl, I'd have never expected all this.. I.. I don't even know what to say", she admitted, her hand going to her mouth. "How are you feeling, what do you want to do? Have you tried to call her or something?"

"Ain't matter what I wanna do Andrea.. watcha want me ta do? She's made 'er choice, fuckin' left in tha middle of tha nigh'.. she ain''t got no number I can call 'er an' I wouldn' even if she did", he stated, waving his hand frustratingly in the air.

"I know how you feel Daryl. Believe me, I can't even imagine, but maybe you're making this all about you, about how you felt about her leaving you like that. And what if she truly believes she's got no choice? She ended up hurting you, but I'm sure it wasn't what she wanted… maybe she didn't see another way out".

Daryl rolled his eyes. He knew all that, but it just wasn't enough.

"Yea, so what Andrea? I know, alrite? I know she ain't no bitch who jus' decided ta use me an' leave.. so fuckin' what?! I can't jus' drag 'er back.. can't make 'er do somethin' she ain't ready or whateva to do 'erself.. an' even if I wanted ta do it, I simply can't, cause I got not fuckin' way of findin' er. Then there's this son 'f a bitch.. I can't fuckin' kill him cause I ain't even know his goddamn name, cause I would, Andrea, believe me. I'm so fuckin' sick of people like that. So dontcha tell me I make this 'bout me, I was gonna make it all 'bout someone I barely know, when it could 've been damn easier ta jus' walk away tha second she said all those things".

His heart was racing when he finished talking and the truth was he wasn't angry at Carol, nor at Andrea. He was angry because even when all those things Andrea was pointing out were true, there was nothing he could do to change them now. There was no way of finding out what happened to her and if she was going to be alright. And he did care, not only because of what he felt for her. He'd been too young to do anything for her momma and now he knew he could have done something for Carol, if only she'd let him.

Andrea leaned over the table that separated them both and placed her hand above his, the gesture so comforting he didn't pull away.

"Daryl, despite all this... beyond you and her", she began saying, and he knew what was coming next. "Those things she told you about her husband, something needs to be done about it, I mean… you might have no way to reach her but we don't live exactly in a big town. Rick Grimmes is a cop, maybe we can ask him what we should do, maybe he knows the guy already", her breathing was labored too as she talked; sounding almost freaked out that a man like that was right there in their own town, beating a woman she'd met.

"Not yet, Andrea...jus', I need a few days to think 'bout this all", he answered right away. Of course he'd thought of that and every possible option, but all of them could end up doing more harm if they weren't careful. "Can ya please not tell Merle? not jus' yet… it ain't that I wanna leave 'im out, but I'd rather tell 'im maself", he explained.

"Of course I won't Daryl, but don't underestimate him… he can be helpful in these situations. You take your time, you know you count with us", she told him reassuringly, and squeezed his hand.

"I know…", he said absently.

He felt lighter when he left, and he knew he had no reason to be optimistic, but he could only hope she stayed safe until he figured out what was the best thing to do. Maybe he could begin with not fooling himself: it mattered. She mattered too damn much.


	20. Ain't a surprise

Just a chapter to get inside Daryl's thoughts... not much action here, but we'll have lots of it in the next chapters.

S.-

* * *

><p>19.<p>

Carol put a long sleeved t-shirt on, her eyes lingering on the dark bruise that covered her left upper arm and then going down to the scratches on her right hipbone. Ed had gotten back that Monday, very early in the morning, and she'd woken up to his nails digging the skin of her stomach, so deeply that the evidence was once more plastered on her skin, his strong arms pulling her out of bed and dropping her on the floor while he yelled that breakfast wasn't ready. She'd expected him to show up the night before, and dinner had indeed been ready, that lasagna she'd been cooking all afternoon as tears rolled down her face at the memories of that Sunday morning she'd decided trying to fight him was pointless. She'd tried to explain him all that, but it didn't matter. It never did.

He'd opened the fridge and threw the intact lasagna to the trash, took a shower afterwards and went straight to sleep for a few hours, leaving her alone to do the only thing she'd been doing lately. She'd cried so much the last 24 hours that her eyes burned, a sensation of emptiness she'd never felt before washing all over her, and still, she didn't regret it, having met him and having left. All these years she'd just felt a victim of Ed's abuses, he'd convinced her and she'd convinced herself there was nothing to do about it, because there wasn't. Her life had been so miserable sometimes it felt unreal, like if that wasn't really happening to her… a never ending nightmare she never seemed to wake up from. Now she'd been given the possibility to choose, to leave him and, who knew… it might have been for good. Still, she'd refused to do it. She could have taken the risk, could have stayed with a man who didn't know her much but who seemed to care about her and was willing to put himself in danger just for her. Could have accepted whatever reasons he had to be willing to protect her. And she couldn't help but feeling almost as guilty as Ed. She felt just as responsible of her fate now as Ed's always been. She'd let that chance go, and it hurt more than all the bruises she'd ever gotten from him.

The last two weeks passed by relatively quickly though, Ed being gone most of the days only to come back late at night, so wasted, tired, or both, he hadn't hurt her again. And now it was Friday and Ed had left for the weekend once more, although he never said how long he was going to be gone for, but he'd mentioned there would be some people coming on Monday. She'd asked him if she should make some special lunch or dinner for them, and he'd spat they were coming just to work on the backyard, and that it wasn't her business anyway. Of course, he never kept her updated or cared for her opinion about anything, but she'd heard him speaking on the phone some days ago, commenting something about building a brand new swimming pool, a barbecue area and what not in the oversized garden he owned. The minute he left to wherever it was that he headed during the weekends, she'd ran to the spot she visited every day, kneeled down and touched the pale stone that hid one of her few belongings.

She didn't know how long ago, because she usually lost track of time, being locked in the house and all, but one day Glenn decided he should find her a gun. "Just in case", he'd said. He'd teached her how to use it and they'd both buried it in the backyard, making sure it wasn't deep enough to get it easily in case she needed to. It made her feel safer, just knowing it was there, and every day, she sat on the ground and looked down at the place that sheltered one of the many things she hid from Ed, wondering if she'd ever have to use it. She'd have to talk to Glenn quickly, bury the gun somewhere else, she thought, absently shoving her hands inside her front pockets. Her fingers brushed against a small piece of paper that almost disintegrated under her touch, and she smiled. That paper hid one of the few good memories she could rely on. She carefully took it out of her pocket, even when she already knew exactly what it was, and held her tightly inside her fists, her eyes becoming watery once again. She suddenly had the urge of telling Daryl she'd do everything to stay safe; letting him know she had a gun hidden somewhere in the garden, and that she missed him, and that it felt too strange, missing someone who'd been in her life for so short.

But she couldn't. And she wouldn't. At least not yet.

* * *

><p>"Look, sir, I'm afraid we can't really help you if you doubt every single thing I say", Andrea said calmly, her expression stoic.<p>

"I don't mean to offend you sugar. I'm just wondering… well, is it you who really runs this place?" the man answered with a smirk, and Andrea raised her brows.

"Name's Andrea Holden, like I told you. I'm an arquitect, and yes, I run this business. I should probably wonder why is it that it surprises you so much, but I honestly don't care", she said sharply, watching him clench his teeth.

Daryl got inside the office the second she heard Andrea say those words. He motioned to turn around and leave until they finished talking, but he saw Andrea nod towards him in which he interpreted meant he should stay. He couldn't see the man who was sitting on a chair in front of her, his back to him, but he wondered what had made Andrea, who was usually kind and charming with her clients, say those words to him.

"That I understand, sweetheart. Now, well, I bet it ain't you who will be working on my backyard, is it? In that case, I'm making sure I stay around".

Daryl frowned at the few words that made him realize the man standing there was a fucking idiot; nothing that hadn't happened before, but which annoyed him every time it did. He stepped forward then, making enough noise to have him turn around and glance at him quickly before focusing back on Andrea.

"No", Andrea stated. "Luckily, I won't be the one doing that. The man over there, Daryl, would be doing it. His brother too, and some other men, of course", she said impatiently. "Like I told you before, what I do is making the blueprints and checking everything is going according to what we've planned".

"Yes, you mentioned that", the man said in a pathetic flirty voice. "Who would have said pretty blondes could also be that smart, huh?" he added, letting out a snort.

Daryl walked towards the desk and stood in between both. "We got a problem in 'ere?" he spat without thinking.

"I'm hoping all we got is a new client", Andrea said, her eyes drifting from Daryl to the man. "This is Daryl, the man I told you about. One of the best we got, too. Daryl, this is Ed Peletier. He hired us to build a swimming pool and some other things on his house", she explained, faking a smile.

Daryl briefly nodded at him in acknowledgment and he saw him lean further against his chair, not even bothering on greeting him in any way.

"How long you think it can take, boy? Cause I ain't got much time, you know, with summer coming and all", he was staring at him up and down, and Daryl took the chance to examine him, wondering how on hell someone who looked like him would dare making a move on Andrea, or on anyone for that matter. He was definitely the type who had lots of money or who at least tried to give that impression, his clothes, shoes and clock so fancy it made him look even more ridiculous.

"Name's Daryl.. an' I reckon it takes whatever it takes. Simple as that. Should pro'bly drop by ta check tha ground an' all, but if ya was in a hurry, well.. ya shoulda came 'fore", he shot back at him with a shrug, enjoying the way his mouth dropped a little at his statement.

"Alright, I have to say you people aren't exactly friendly, but I've heard you're the best around, and that's what I always go for". He winked at Andrea and Daryl could tell she suppressed a laugh, which made him kind of want to burst out laughing himself too. The man stood up then and shook her hand.

"We'll be in touch", he told her, turning to face Daryl right after. "I'll be seeing you on Monday boy, be giving you good tips if you speed things up a bit". Daryl clenched his fists but remained silent.

"Who tha hell is this?" he asked Andrea the second he walked through the door.

"Some overly confident asshole who thinks he owns the world just because he became rich overnight", she said with a chuckle. "I'm sorry guys, I'm guessing it's going to suck, but it's lots of money Daryl. You can even take some holidays when you're done".

Daryl shrugged dismissively. "We can handle 'im.. sure we've seen worse".

"I'm not so sure myself. Did you see the ring? I mean, can you believe a man like that's fucking married? Seriously Daryl, who on earth marries a guy like him, sleeps next to his side every night? Ew, just thinking of it disgusts me", Andrea said, wrinkling her nose, and Daryl let out a laugh.

"Ain't a surprise", he commented. "Nothin' is anymore".


	21. Purple bruises

Ok, here we go. Another chapter!

Hope you like it!

S.-

* * *

><p>"Ya sure he didn' touch Andrea?" Merle spat as they finished their coffee. He was sitting on Andrea's chair and Daryl was leaning against the door, ready to leave. He had to go to that moron's house this morning, check how things needed to be done, but Merle kept making random conversation to postpone the inevitable long hours of work ahead of both.<p>

"Course he didn' touch 'er.. I told ya, I was there. Andrea's a tough girl anyway, she'd have kicked 'is ugly ass", Daryl commented with a chuckle.

"Watcha said 'is name was?" Merle asked, and Daryl rolled his eyes.

"Hell if I know, Merle.. Ed somethin', I reckon. Didn' really catch it", he said impatiently, leaving the coffee mug aside and grabbing the truck keys. "Gotta go, see ya later".

"Ya ain't ever gonna tell me what happened wit' Carol, lil' brotha?" Merle insisted. It was probably the fifth time he asked, and every time Daryl heard her name, his stomach clenched. After almost three weeks.

"Not today, Merle. Jus' drop it. I gotta go", he said with a sigh. 

* * *

><p>Daryl got inside the truck and checked the address Andrea'd given him. It didn't surprise him at all when he saw the neighborwood he was supposed to drive to; it was the nicest in the town, full of oversized houses and usually more cars than the people who inhabited them. Those houses belonged to wealthy people, people who had so much money and sometimes so much free time in their hands they usually got bored and decided to refurbish it, build a new swimming pool, a new room, whatever, which was the only reason Daryl had been inside too many of them to remember them all. He'd never been too fond of the people who lived in that kind of places, partly because of his own prejuices, but also because he'd noticed how they believed they were better than the people who worked for them. Like if money made them any better, or like if it gave them more power. And it sadly did. Sometimes they had children and the kids would approach him and watch him curiously, keeping their distance. Their ma or pa would walk towards them then, say something on their ear. They probably told their kid they shouldn't talk to that man, because he was a stranger, they didn't know him, and the kids would stay back and watch him, a man they'd never become, just because they had been borned in a different place than him. It reminded him when he'd been a kid himself, and he'd watch his classmates knowing that, for some reason, he'd never be like them, he'd never own the kind of things they did, even though, at that time, he hadn't understood exactly why.<p>

Suddenly he realized it was also the street he'd left Carol that day they'd met, and he wondered if she might be there, in one of those houses, cleaning or going to the groceries to cook for her nasty husband. He wondered, once again, if she'd ran out of fear or if she may be as sick as her husband was. He doubted it, but he couldn't be sure anymore. After all, he hadn't even gotten to know her that much. He kept wondering, ever since that day, if maybe she'd thought even her abusive husband was better than him. Those were too many unanswered questions and he left the thoughts aside, eager to get to this man's house just to focus on something else.

And he got there sooner than he thought, parked the truck outside and clapped his hands, lighting a smoke as he waited and looked around, unimpressed by the luxurious building in front of him. He waited a few minutes and was ready to leave when he saw the man, Ed, get outside the house and walked towards him, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Hey boy, glad you made it. Ain't really easy to get here", he greeted him, patting his shoulder.

"Name's Daryl, like I said tha otha' day", Daryl said, annoyed, but Ed had already turned around and started to walk inside the property, so he followed him.

"Daryl… Daryl, I got it boy", he said cheerfuly, stopping on his tracks. "Well, Daryl, this is where the swimming pool would be, what do you think? Think you can build a nice one for me?"

Daryl looked at the ground, noticing it wasn't exactly flat, but it was manageable, even when it'd require more time.

"We can build it alrite", he commented. "Ain't exactly tha best terrain fer a swimmin' pool, but it ain't impossible either."

"That's what I was hoping you would say, boy". Daryl clenched his teeth, but he didn't correct him this time. He had the impression the man was trying hard to be nice, probably because they'd been close to reject his offer the other day.

"Yea, alrite. I'm jus' gonna take some measuruments today, will be startin' ta work tomorrow", Daryl explained, kneeling down and starting to get ready to work.

"I'm going to get you some lemonade to drink first, it's going to get hot pretty soon", the man told him, motioning with his hand for him to wait.

"I'm good, migh' be better ta jus' get it over wit' this", Daryl replied.  
>The man frowned but gave him a fake smile.<p>

"Come on now. My wifey, she makes some damn good lemonade. One of the few good things she does if ya ask me". He snorted and winked at him, but Daryl just ignored him. He hated how men always brought women into the conversation to break the ice, either by complaining about them or talking about their tits and asses.

"Yea, well, whateva", Daryl replied, rolling his eyes.

"Woman! Get your ass here will ya?" he yelled, and once again smirked at Daryl, who knew he was supposed to laugh and be thinking what a badass he was, but his face remained serious instead, so serious the smirk on the man's face faded away.

"Can you believe it? Spends all day doing nothing in the house, and she still takes this fucking long", the man barked, and Daryl turned around. The man was starting to get him into his nerves. Not only did he seem dumb, but he was pretty ugly too and now it turned out he was also aggressive. He remembered Andrea's comment about who on hell could have chosen to marry this man, and he couldn't agree more.

"Tha hell's taking you so long?" he heard him yell again, and his fists clenched almost unconsciously, all that yelling reminding him of too many things he'd been trying to leave behind.

"I'm sorry, Ed… I was just making some lemonade for you, and the man here… I figured you'd li.."  
>She stopped talking the second he realized the voice was familiar, too familiar for it to be just a coincidence, and he slowly turned to face her… maybe it was her sister, her cousin… no… fuck, no. He knew it already, before he even saw her. He could have recognized that voice anywhere. Hell, it was the voice he'd been missing all these weeks. But, what the fuck?<p>

"What the hell, Carol Ann, ya going to walk here with those drinks or do we have to get them with our minds?" he snorted again and glanced at him, and all he wanted to do was fucking punch him. He wanted to run away, get the hell out of there, yet he was unable to move.

He managed to light another cigarrete, hoping it'd sooth him, and he just stared at her. It was all he could do. He looked at her up and down, noticing her hands were trembling under the glasses she was holding. Her cheeks were red and her eyes were watery, yet she instantly looked down and stepped forward, leaving the drinks on a little table. His heart was hammering in his chest and he couldn't drop his gaze off her, couldn't find his voice to mutter a thanks and focus on his work the way he'd probably do if it hadn't been her.

"What's tha matter, huh?!" her husband barked, stepping towards her. "I'm sure the man here doesn't normally dress like this". He laughed at his own joke, and then, as unexpectedly as everything had happened that morning, his phone started to ring.

"Damn, I have to take this", he glanced at Carol and then back at Daryl. "Get him some more lemonade, will ya? Don't want my workers to pass out in the heat. You do what you gotta do, boy. I'll be back in a minute".

Daryl watched Ed get inside the house, the faint sound of his loud voice filling the air. He dropped the butt of his cigarrete to the ground and kicked it, raising such a dust cloud that she became a blur for a second. He saw her walk forward, and he instantly stepped backwards, his eyes now fixed on the ground.

"Daryl…", she said, almost pleadingly.

"Dontcha fuckin' dare", he bursted out. He felt a lump on his throat that kept getting huger as the seconds went by, the surprise and dissapointment too big for him to handle.

"Daryl.. please", she repeated. "Just, please…"

"Seriously, Carol?! Jesus, that even yer real name?" he managed to keep his voice low, but his face looked just like if he'd been yelling.

"Daryl, please", she repeated unceasingly. "I'm sorry, I'm so… so sorry". Tears were falling from her eyes and he hated that despite his anger his heart ached when he saw her cry. She covered her eyes with her hands and he saw a darkened bruise on his upper arm. It was a new one.

"Ya ran back straight ta this?!" he spat, his thumb tracing the shape of the bruise. She dropped her hands from her eyes and sobbed, but it didn't stop him from speaking his mind. If anything, he'd tell her what he'd been thinking all this time she'd been gone.

"Yer a coward! Yer as sick as he is! Ya ran away from me in tha middle of tha night, ya could at least have told me ya couldn't, or ya didn' want ta, whateva reasons ya had.. ya shoulda fuckin' told me!". He was surprised when he heard his own voice tremble, his hands clenched in fists on his sides.

"You'd have tried to convince me, and I couldn't let that happen", she muttered, tears still falling down her face.

The feeling of rage, that he was familiar with. He felt it build in his stomach and he actually had to control himself not to let it all come out. He approached her in one large step, his face inches from hers.

"I sure as hell wouldn' have, cuz if this is what ya want, if this is what yer sick mind thinks ya deserve, then I don' want ya around". The words came out harshly and she took a step back, her eyes wide opened. She took a deep breath and wiped the tears off her face with her hand, her voice calmer when she spoke again.

"Daryl, it's not what you think. It's complicated, too complicated to get you involved… that's why I never.." she stopped, turning around to look if they were still alone. "That's why it was so hard for me to tell you, that's why I disappeared…", her voice was low but the words were coming out fast, her eyes desperately seeking his.

"Yea, whateva. It don't fuckin' matter anymore. Ya made yer decision, this is jus' a fuckin' coincidence we should both forget 'bout". He picked his tool box from the ground and hooked it under his arm.

"What are you doing?" she asked worringly, blinking several times.

"What am I doin'?! I'm gettin' tha hell outta 'ere.. that's what I'm fuckin' doin'. Ya tell 'im I got an emergency… hell, ya tell 'im whateva ya want", he started to turn around but then he felt her cold hand wrap around his forearm. He stopped, but he didn't move.

"Daryl, please don't do this", she begged him, her grip on his arm tightening.

"I ain't gonna be a part 'f this Carol. Ya walked straight back ta 'im.. ain't gonna work 'ere every day an' just watch ya, watch 'im treat ya like that. I can't. I don' fuckin' want to", he muttered, pulling away from her.

Their shoulders brushed when he walked past her, his feet moving straight to the truck even when his mind didn't seem to obey, and he had to stop himself from turning around, which didn't make any sense, because he didn't have anthing else to say.

"Daryl", he heard her call him, and he stopped, but didn't move.

"Maybe I'm a coward, or maybe it's hard to understand...I know it doesn't matter anymore, but just for the record, I've never been happier than those days I spent with you".

And he was glad she couldn't see the tears filling his own eyes too.


	22. Whatever comes

I had to split this chapter, which means the next one is going to come pretty soon! :)  
>thank you to those of you who like this story and take the time to say it!<p>

have a great weekend  
>S.- <p>

* * *

><p>"Holy shit Darylena… ever heard that quote, plenty 'f fish in tha sea or somethin'? yet ya go an' catch tha mos' fucked up 'f all 'em fishes", he said, with a chuckle that didn't match his eyes.<p>

Merle had never been very expressive, his usual reactions under pretty much any situation either amusement or rage, and both of them were always exaggerated in relation to the reasons that had provoked them. He'd laugh it out or want to kick your ass, no shades in between. And Daryl wasn't one to show his emotions neither, but he'd never succeeded in pretending it didn't matter, like Merle did. He couldn't help but feeling, and he usually felt more things than he liked to, even when he never said it aloud or showed it in any way. It was self-preservation, and both of them had developed it in their particular way.

And despite Merle's poor attempt of a joke, of laughing it off the way Daryl had assumed Merle would, he was surprised to see the concern in his brother's eyes, his brows furrowed almost in disbelief and his jaw clenched.

"Ain't matter anymore, man", Daryl said, looking down. "I'm jus' tellin ya all this so ya do that fuckin' job instead 'f me", he lifted his eyes and glanced at him. "It can't be me".

"He beats tha shit outta 'er an' ya wanna step out 'f it?" he asked Daryl slowly, lifting his brows. "Well, hell", Merle breathed. "Yer cold as ice, lil' brotha".

Daryl dropped his hand on the table harder than he intended. "I ain't wanted ta step back ta begin wit'.. weren' ya listenin'? Damnit, Merle, woman made 'er choice, whatcha want me ta do? Fuckin' kidnap 'er or somethin'?" he spat.

Merle chuckled and shrugged, scratching his chin. "Alrite, ya want me ta replace ya, I'll do it bro. Andrea ain't gonna like it though, an' I can't promise ya I ain't puttin' ma hands on 'is sorry ass if I see somethin' I don't like".

"Jus'do it an' forget what I told ya Merle. Ain't that what ya always say? That people should mind their own business an' all that shit?" Daryl pointed out. He knew Merle knew him too much damn as to figure out he wasn't convinced about what he'd decided to do. Because, being honest with himself, he doubted he'd bare running away from the possibility of seeing her every day, even under those fucked up circunstances. Then again, he knew he just wouldn't handle beign so close to the man who hurt her and threatened her like that without doing anything about it. Shit would eventually hit the fan. And he was scared of the things he knew he was capable of when that happened.

"You an' I.. lil' brotha, there's a whole bunch 'f shit we ain't willin' ta accept, migh' be tha reason why we've always been left out, but it's how we're still 'ere, ain't it?", Merle commented nonchalanty, like if he'd been talking about the weather.

"Damnit", Daryl murmured after a minute.

"What's on yer mind, Darylena?" Merle asked him sarcastically.

"Yer righ', I'm gonna go", he stated with a sigh.

"'bout time ya learn I always am". 

* * *

><p>He wouldn't overthink it, he'd promised himself ever since he'd woken up and gotten in the truck. He wouldn't speculate, since things rarely went the way he planned anyway. But that didn't mean he woldn't be cautious, and once he got there, he slowly slid the only gun he owned and hid it under the truck seat. Unlike Merle, he'd always hated those things. Always scared the shit out of him when he'd been younger and they would lay on his pa's night table next to the alcohol and cigarettes.<p>

The first thing he noticed was that Ed's fancy car wasn't there, and he spotted a young man walking towards him, who looked familiar from the distance. As he came close, he realized it was the Asian guy he'd seen more than once in the bars he frequented with Merle. He couldn't recall his name, but he knew he was dating the cutest of the Greene's daughters, just because he'd heard Merle complain about it more than once.

"Oh, wow, hi there", the guy greeted him rather enthusiasticaly, shaking his hand. "Daryl, right?".

"Yea, hey", Daryl replied awkwardly. "I, huh.. I got some stuff ta do 'ere", he began, but the young man interrupted him.

"I know, I know, Peletier told me to let you in. Said he'd be out the whole day, probably 'til afternoon. I'm Glenn by the way". He smiled, and Daryl decided he was alright, maybe a little over-friendly though. "Well, come on in".

"Shouldn' take too long. I gotta take some measurements 'fore we officially start. Was supposed ta do it yesterday but I… huh, had to call it off early", Daryl explained as they walked inside the property.

"That's ok, just do what you gotta do. I'll be working on the garden, just whistle if you need anything", Glenn said, tapping his shoulder. "See you later".

Daryl walked around the huge place, getting the tape measure out of his tool box and wondering if Carol was inside the house, probably still asleep, since it was early in the morning, or maybe she'd just woken up. Images of her laying on his bed came to his mind, and he tried to get rid of them. He needed to focus. He needed to forget he was in the same place she lived and all the things that came with that.

And he succeeded, at least for a few hours, one of the advantages or being a bit obsessive when it came to work. He walked around the whole yard, writing down all the information they needed, measuring the slope and terrain of every spot under the almost unbearable Georgia heat. He'd been actually so focused in the tasks he didn't hear her approach until she placed her hand on his shoulder, and he flinched and turned around at the unexpected touch.

"I'm sorry!" she said with a little laugh, which had him almost wanting to smile. "You came back", she murmured again, openly smiling at him.

"Ain't tha' I had any otha' option", he replied. "boss wanted me ta be in charge 'f this", he added, unshamelessly cleaning the sweat off his forehead with the hem of his shirt. It wasn't on purpose, acting that distant towards her, but as usual, the words just came out that way.

"Whatever reasons you're here for, I'm just happy to see you", she told him back in that soft voice of hers.

And he hated how she could always see through him, yet she didn't say a word about it. She didn't ask him if she was the reason he was there, still, she knew it somehow. She just accepted his evasive words and looks, maybe knowing that, eventually, he'd come around.

"Where is 'im anyway?" he questioned, looking around as if he might appear from somewhere.

"Out. Just out. It was true, what I told you? That he's been spending almost all his time out from the house… it's sad, how much that cheers me up, but it does", she said, lifting her eyes to look at him, her cheeks flushed, but he couldn't tell if it was out of embarrassement or of the bright midday sun.

"Yeah, well.. I, huh, I understan'".

Daryl let his eyes linger on her face and down her small frame, taking her in for the first time since he'd seen her again. The rage had soothened, allowing all his other feelings to emerge, and he swallowed hard at the sight of her: her bright blue eyes and the freckles on her nose, her slim body under her white tank top and a pair of loose black cotton pants, even her feet in simple black sandals. She was beautiful despite the concern and hint of sadness in her eyes, despite her husband's beatings and the fear that stained her features. She was beautiful and he silently cursed his sudden need of reaching her face, touching her, pulling her towards him.

He let out an exhausted breath and shook his head in a poor attempt of focusing on something else, like all the work ahead. He glanced at her and noticed she was still looking at him, confused, her mouth opening as if to say something and then shutting close. He nodded at her briefly and decided to go to the storage house in the back, get away from the sun for a moment and finish work as early as he could.

"I will get you something to drink", she stated then, turning around and heading back to the house before he could say something in reply. 

* * *

><p>Inside the storage house he ran again into the Asian guy, Glenn, who was lifting what looked like bags of mud and carrying them outside. They looked pretty heavy and he wondered if he should have offered to help, buthe just leaned against the wall and lighted a cigarrete instead.<p>

"Hey", Glenn greeted him. "Pretty hot outside, huh?" The young man nervously ran his hands on his hair, and Daryl figured it wouldn't hurt trying to be friendlier, or at least polite.

"No kiddin'..", he commented, taking a long drag on his cigarette.

Glenn chuckled and just stared at him, clearing his throat before speaking again. "Ya know, I hope you don't take this the wrong way… I just have to say it, I'm glad you're here", he declared, and it was all it took for Daryl to understand Glenn knew about it all.

"Yea, well, I got a job ta do", Daryl said evasively.

But Glenn decided to ignore him and just kept talking.

"I know it's not easy, I mean... I've thought of quitting so many times, I can't imagine what it'd be like if I was in you situation, or hers, but, whatever I can do to help, please let me know". He was speaking fast, glancing at Daryl every now and then as to check he wasn't going to punch him.

And he'd have normally felt mad at his intrusion, but strangely enough, he appreciated how sincere and straightforward Glenn had been.

"Thanks man", he muttered.

"Yay, is that lemonade?!"

Daryl frowned in confusion for a second, but then he watched Carol get inside the messy cabin, two big glasses on her hand. She handed one to Glenn, who drank it all in one sip and headed outside, leaving the mud bags behind. He'd have laughed at his way of sneaking out and leaving the two of them alone if it hadn't been for the increasing rate of his heartbeats, his throat suddenly feeling dry.

"Here", she said, walking towards him. He reached with his hand for the glass, their fingers brushing as he took it. "Thanks", he mumbled, going back to lean against the wall. She mirrored him, leaning on her side and facing him.

"I didn't want to leave that day Daryl", she said right away. "I know you probably got a lot of things to say about it, and I even know some of those things might be right. But you need to know, that I didn't want to leave", she repeated, searching for his eyes with hers.

She wasn't lying. He saw that straight away and he'd probably always known it.

"Ain't matter anymore.. ya say ya didn' want ta leave, but ya still did. It's alrite though, like I said", he cleared his throat and glanced at her, "it ain't matter, what's done's damn done".

"The way you say it, I can't tell if it's bad or good, I mean…", she stepped forward and lifted her eyes to look up at him, the blue of her eyes, her freckles, her lips just inches away from him. "I can't tell if you're mad or if you forgave me or… or if you just don't care anymore".

He blinked, finding it hard to process what she was saying and elaborate an answer with her being so close to him. "How can ya think I don' care?", he asked her softly.

And she just looked at him, a smile playing on her lips, a smile that encouraged him to reach with his hand for a lock of hair that fell on her forehead. She brought her hand and placed it over his, and he held it tight inside his own and guided it to rest flat on his chest.

"Ya hear it?" his voice came out low, his eyes now fixed on hers.

She nodded slightly, biting her bottom lip.

"That's how much I care righ' there".


	23. Tremble

Like I told you, this came quickly. It's shorter than usual because most of it was part of the previous one, but I hope you still enjoy it. There's some important background for what's coming next..

Hugs and hope you have a happy sunday!

S.- 

* * *

><p>Carol felt his hand tremble over hers, another evidence of how hard it was for him, being there with her after she left, after she told him the truth about what kind of person her husband was; being there <em>for <em>her even when she still didn't believe there could be something done about her situation, and she suspected he'd started to think that way too. But his heart was hammering under her hand, his gaze frightened but filled with determination, and she felt that, even if she wanted to, she couldn't walk away from him now.

She'd truly thought he wouldn't show up again, wouldn't forgive her or simply wouldn't decide she was worth all that trouble and angst. She'd thought she'd deal with it just like she had with everything else, leave it behind, give him up. But now that her heart was racing even faster than her mind, her fingers travelling up and down his chest, she realized she had a reason not to, right there in front of her and under her tentative fingers. She leaned against the wall, both of her hands flat on his chest, and looked up at him, his eyes darkened and narrowed, his Adam's napple bobbing in his throat. She tried to speak but she couldn't find her voice, a loud sigh coming out of her mouth instead when she watched him step forward and bring his hand to the wall beside her head.

She closed her eyes only when she felt his lips moving against her own, slowly, almost lazily, his free hand resting on her hip. She felt her skin start to burn just out of the kiss and he suddenly stopped, pressing his forehead against her own, his breathing rather labored.

"Daryl…" she murmured, her hands travelling down his stomach to wrap around his waist, pulling him towards her. "Don't stop", she added, hearing him inhale deeply, his lips instantly going back to hers. She parted her lips, letting out a low moan when she felt his tongue flick inside her mouth, his fingers tangling in her hair, tilting her head to give him better access. Her tongue met his and heat started to stroke her entire body, her back arching to press herself further against him. He growled, dragging his lips from hers, along her jaw and up her ear.

"I've missed ya, missed this", he rumbled, nibbing on her earlobe, his hand sliding under the hem of her tank top and up her stomach. She felt her brain shut off and all she could focus were his hands roaming all over her body, his lips kissing and licking the sensitive skin of her neck, his hard on pressing against her pelvis, and she grinded herself against it, desperately seeking for some sort of release. He growled and lifted her up in one quick movement, her legs wrapping around his waist as his mouth found her lips again, his tongue stroking hers. She moaned on his mouth but he abruptly pulled apart, putting her down and turning around so fast that her ass almost ended on the floor.

"Holy sh.. ehh, what's up? Just thought I'd tell Carol I'm done for the day", a nervous but amused looking Glenn said, his head peeking out of the door.

Carol brought her hand to her mouth, too embarrassed to speak. She saw Daryl shift uncomfortably on his feet, the full evidence of what they'd been up to visible through his pants, in the unlikely case Glenn hadn't seen enough already.

"Oh my God, Glenn.. I'm so..", she began, but he raised his hand up and waved it on the air.

"What? No, no, no. I should be sorry, I mean, I should have knocked, but, you know, door was opened and I just walked in.. anyway, I'm leaving already, huh.. nice to meet you, Daryl", he spoke fastly, nodding towards him. "Beware the heat, you guys", he added before quickly sneaking out.

Carol stood still, still horrified, and she raised her brows when she saw Daryl face her, a crooked smile on his lips.

"Oh my god", she repeated. "I can't believe I didn't hear him coming!"

"I did, kinda.. at some point", he said, his smile widening. "it's why I put ya down, looks like he still got tha idea though", he commented with a chuckle. Carol walked towards him, her brows furrowed.

"And you think it's funny", she stated, her arms crossing around her chest although a small smile spread on her lips as well.

"Hey", he said, raising his hands defensively. "Ain't every day I get caught makin' out by an awkward, funny lookin' Asian dude".

Carol laughed and playfully punched him on his arm. "Guess we'll have to lock the door the next time", she told him, smiling proudly when she saw his jaw drop slightly.

"Guess so", he commented, his face flushed. "Listen, migh' as well jus' finish what I had ta do today.. Maybe, huh, maybe if I finish early we can… hang 'round or somethin', 'til, ya know, 'til I leave".

Carol sighed, knowing Ed would most likely get back soon, maybe for a quick lunch before he left again, or he might even not get back at all, but she still had to cook, just in case. A strange silence suddenly filled the air, and she knew it was due to the unspoken reminder of how things were going to be between them, interrupted and short in the best of scenarios.

"Hey", he said, reaching out for her face with his hand.

"I'd like that", she said, smiling at him before walking outside.

-  
>And Ed did come back. She saw it all through the kitchen's window, him getting out the car and walking towards Daryl, exchanging a few words with him, Daryl's hands curled in fists on his sides. And she suddenly hated it, putting Daryl in that mortifying situation.<p>

She saw Ed start to make his way to the house and she quickly moved away from the window, taking the roasted chicken she'd just cooked out of the oven. Ed grunted when he saw her and went straight upstairs, probably to the bathroom or to change. Carol didn't think twice about it and she just jogged outside, only to find Daryl standing a few steps away from the front yard.

"I gotta go", he murmured, looking around.

"You're going to be back tomorrow?" she asked him, stepping towards him, but not as close as she'd have liked.

He nodded and let out a breath.

"I fuckin' hate leavin' ya wit' im", he spat. "jus' fuckin hate it".

"I'll be fine Daryl", she told him reassuringly.

"Listen ta me Carol. He touches ya or does somethin' to ya, anythin', ya call me righ' away. Please. Ya gotta promise me ya will". His eyes were so pleading she just couldn't tell him otherwise.

"I promise".

He gave her a little smile, looking slightly more relieved. "Bye Carol", he mumbled, glancing at her over his shoulder several times until he got inside the truck.

-  
>She rolled on the bed, over and over, unable to fall asleep. She didn't know what time it was but she'd heard Ed get inside the house probably about an hour ago, and ever since then he'd been talking on the phone. She caught pieces of the conversation, every now and then, and even though it wasn't the first time she'd heard those kind of things, they still made her tremble, scared the shit out of her.<p>

_"You sure you hid it well?"_

_"Mhmhm. Right. And you say he knows too?"_

_"No point in taking any risks. Just get rid of him"._

_"Damn, Jack! Can't do it all myself. You're here to do the dirty work"._

_"Yeah, alright. Just call me when it's done. Can't give you more than 3 days"._

She stood still and closed her eyes the second she heard him hung up and head upstairs, straight into her room. Their room. And there was nothing she could do other than pretending she was asleep and she hadn't heard that conversation. She'd just pretend. She'd always been good at that.


	24. Walk with me

This chapter has a little bit of everything I think, hope you like it. Sorry if there are too many grammar mistakes, I'm going to be with no access to internet and I wanted to post it first..

have a nice week you all!

S.-

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry", Glenn said with a chuckle. "It's just… I still can't believe you're seeing Daryl Dixon", he admitted.<p>

"Why?" Carol asked him curiously. "I mean, what does it change, now that you know his last name?" He filled Glenn's mug with tea, impatiently looking by the window to check if Daryl had gotten there yet.

Glenn tilted his head and lifted his brows at her, and Carol knew how much he enjoyed having something to say about people that the others didn't know.

"They are the Dixons! The Dixon brothers, everyone knows them, you know? and it's like… everyone knows they shouldn't mess with them even when I've never seen or heard 'bout them doing anything, but you just know, and you don't mess with them", he told her with a shrug.

Carol laughed. "So are they popular or something? God, their last name sounds familiar for some reason, but I swear.. I've never seen them before, I mean, before meeting Daryl, and then I met Merle through him". She sat on the chair, her hand on her chin, interested to hear whatever it was that Glenn had to say about them.

"Yeah, I'd say they are… you know how this town is, people talk, even without knowing much. But then you find them in the bars and they give you that impression.. ya know, those looks, but hey, I like them just fine, I'm not saying there's something wrong with them, it just surprised the hell out of me when I saw it was him", he hurried to say, and Carol understood his point without him having to explain any further.

Because she couldn't believe she was "seeing", if it could be called that way, Daryl Dixon either. Funny thing she'd just learnt what his last name was. He wasn't her type, or it was more like she'd have never thought she'd be _his _type. And she knew, because she'd seen it herself, that there was something about him, something about the way he carried himself, that could be a little intimidating. It'd been to her at first. But in her opinion that was also pretty attractive… that he looked manly, rough in a good way, self assured even when, if you got to know him better, you found out how awkward and shy he was too. He could be pretty sweet, in his own way, and now Carol had found out he was also extremely loyal to those he cared about. Yes, he cared for her. She'd slowly started to assume it and to feel good about it.

"Yes, I guess I understand what you mean. I don't know a lot about them either, but they are good people, that I can say", she assured him with a smile.

"Maggie's dad, Hershel, he always says they are good people too. Says how hard working they are, especially Daryl. Ya know, Maggie, she used to have a little crush on Merle, a few years ago", he told her, shaking his head. "Then again, pretty much all the women in town did... he's gotten himself a name".

"What about Daryl?" Carol asked right away. He'd never really told him anything about other women in his life, but she honestly doubted there hadn't been a few.

"Never seen him with anyone really… so, what? From what I've seen yesterday you guys decided to give it a shot", he said with a smirk.

Carol sighed, but her lips twitched in a smile. "I just can't walk away from him Glenn… I've tried, but…"

A knock on the door silented them both and Glenn stood up to open,Carol's face brightening when she saw a rather sleepy Daryl lean against the door frame, stretching his hand out to Glenn.

"Mornin'…", he muttered, his lips curling in a smile. "Jus' wanted ta tell ya we're 'ere already, and.. huh, kinda needed ta know where tha rest room is".

"Straight down the hallway, to your left", Carol indicated him, unable to stop smiling. She put water to boil to make him some coffee and said goodbye to Glenn, who apparently thought he had to hurry to leave them alone everytime they were together.

Without thinking, she walked to the bathroom, laughing when he opened the door and he flinched at her unexpected presence in front of him.

"Ya followed me?" he asked her, raising one brow. She still didn't get used at how good he looked.

"Kind of", she told him back. "I just, I don't think you properly said hello". Her stomach tingled at the sound of her voice, low and seductive, almost unrecognizable to her ears.

He smirked and crossed his arms on his chest. "Damn, sorry... how is it tha' ya properly say hello? Gotta make sure I don' forget next time", he told her, and she was glad he seemed to be following her lead.

She leaned forward and brought his face to hers, kissing his cheek, but he furrowed his brows and caught her by her chin.

"That ain't how I say hello", he whispered, brushing his lips over hers. She smiled on his mouth and kissed him back, the tip of her tongue tracing his bottom lip. He parted his lips, his tongue sliding inside her mouth and tangling with hers, his hands wrapping around her waist. Her heart started to beat faster, need growing in her body just by that kiss and she pressed herself further against him, making him step back until they ended up inside the bathroom.

He pulled apart, his face flushed. "Saw 'is car parked outside", he told her, his hands absently moving up and down her sides.

"Yes, but he got here really late last night, won't be waking up anytime soon", she explained him, moving her mouth to his neck. He tilted his head and groaned.

"Ya sure?" he insisted, but he didn't give her time to answer because his lips were moving against hers again, his tongue seeking for hers almost despertately, his hands all over her body. And she smiled in satisfaction at the realization that he seemed to want her just as much as she did. She moaned on his mouth, her fingers digging on the skin of his stomach and teasingly moving down to his hip bone.

"Tell me ta stop", he told her, his face buried on her neck as he kissed his way down her throat to her cleavage. "Carol", he hissed, his other hand lingering on the waistband of her pants, and he groaned on her ear when he felt her own hand guide his under her panties.

"No", she gasped, "Don't stop". Her lips found his roughly as her hand moved to stroke the buldge on his pants. He stepped back, his back crushing against the bathroom's door, which cracked behind him.

"Shit", he mumbled on her mouth. "Carol…", he repeated, but his mind shutted down when he felt her fingers wrap around his cock, his jeans falling to his knees, and he clumsily slid his own fingers under her panties, cursing on her mouth when he felt her wet and warm. She slid her panties down with one hand as the other moved up and down his length, and Daryl threw his head back, the unbearable pleasure hitting each and every nerve of his body and enhancing by the fact that it was barely morning, her awful husband was sleeping right upstairs and there was a whole bunch of people working outside, like he should be.

He instinctively spinned her around when he felt she'd barely touched him and he was too close already. They were finally here, together as he'd been dreaming with for weeks; there was no way he was letting her make him come out of a hand job, as good as it had felt. He pressed himself against her, his hands moving up her stomach to cup her breasts under her shirt, his tongue furiously stroking hers. He wanted to go down on her, undress her on a bed and swirl his tongue around her nipples, feel her mouth wrapped around his cock, he wanted _time _and oddly enough that was making him even more impatient.

His fingers encircled her clit and he captured her moans with his mouth, his length pressing hard against her stomach. He lifted her up then, her legs wrapping around his waist, and leaned his head back to seach for permission in her eyes.

"Daryl… please", she said, her eyes wide and dark, no sign of any doubts in them. And he didn't doubt either, using his hand to position himself and thrusting all the way inside her, his eyes stuck on hers. He crushed his mouth against hers to suppress the loud growl that he felt in his throat. She was impossibly tight and wet around him and it was then when he realized they hadn't used protection, but he felt there was no way he'd be stopping because of that. Not even because of that.

Her nails were digging in the skin of his shoulders, her hips moving frantically against his and he pulled back only to thrust harder into her. "Open yer eyes", he commanded, and she did, the expression in her blue, wide eyes sending chills down his spine. He slowed his pace and sunk his face on her neck, leaving wet kisses all the way up until he reached her ear.

"I wanna fuck ya where ya can scream my name", he whispered, and she tangled her fingers in his hair and brought his lips back to hers. "god, faster Daryl", she told him, leaning her head back when he began to move faster inside her, her muscles clenching around him and dragging him in until he felt his legs tremble, her teeth sinking on his bottom lip as they both came.

He carefully put her down, standing still for a moment to check for noises outside. He had the feeling they hadn't been loud, but he'd been so caught in the moment he couldn't tell for sure.

"Damn", he let out as he buttoned his jeans, bringing his hand to her face and pulling her in for a small kiss.

"I know", she agreed, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest. "I'm on the pill, you know? don't need to worry about not having used anything, as long as you're clean, plus… it's not that him and I, you know..", she begun to explain, but she stopped when she felt him sigh on her hair.

"What?" she asked, looking up.

"Jesus, ya got no idea how relieved I feel, an' yea, I'm clean".

"Relieved because I'm on the pill or because..?" she asked him curiously.

"Tha second", he answered right away. He pulled apart then and brought his hands to her shoulders. "I don't wanna, but we should pro'bly go outside, ya sure he's..?" he started to ask, but she held his hand and opened the bathroom door, turning around to face him. He still felt dizzy, and as incredible as everything had been it felt also strange coming back to their reality so abruptly.

"See? It's all good", she told him reassuringly as they walked out the bathroom and through the kitchen.

"Seems so", he said, looking around. He stopped by the front door and leaned in to kiss her once more. "I better go back ta work, I'm.. huh, I'll see ya later?"

She smiled and nodded, but when she saw him leave, she just couldn't help it.

"Daryl?" she called him out. He stopped and looked at her over his shoulder.

"Yesterday, I mean, last night, I heard part of a conversation", she begun. She saw him frown and walk back to her, so she continued. "Nothing I haven't heard before, but, it's just, it scares me, everytime I hear those kind of things".

"Whatcha heard?" he asked her finally.

"I heard him talking to some man, Jack I think… saying something about someone knowing and that they should get rid of him", she bit her lip and looked up at him, but his expression hadn't changed.

"Hmm", he growled, his thumb going to his mouth. "We gotta come up wit' a plan, soon", he said thoughtfully.

"How?!" she asked him, suddenly a little exasperated. "What plan exactly? I thought of this, so many times, me and Glenn, and we've never managed to figure out a plan, not a single decent one".

"Ya got me and Merle now, we're gonna think of somethin'", he replied calmly, his hand going to her cheek.

She shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "But something like what, Daryl? I think.. I think you still don't understand how dangerous this is, how dangerous _he is_", she insisted.

"Either we leave, or I kill 'im", he stated simply.

"What?!" Carol spat.

"I'll handle this, ya jus' gotta trust me", he said in a low voice. "Whateva happens, ya gotta trust me", he repeated.

"Daryl, you can't kill him", she said with a sob, gripping his arm. "You'd end up in jail, and I…", she stopped when she felt the tears starting to fill her eyes.

"Believe me, I ain't wanna go ta jail, an' I won't. But I hate every single day ya spend in this place, near 'im. It's gotta stop". He cupped her face with both hands and stuck his eyes on hers. "All ya gotta do is trust me, alrite? Ain't doin' anythin' without tellin' ya first".

She just nodded, even when hundred of questions and fears came to her mind; even when she knew difficult times were coming and it was too late to step back, simply because she didn't want to step back no more.

"Can't walk away from ya either", he told her, leaning in to brush his lips against hers before heading finally to work. "Don't wanna even try".


	25. Bittersweet

It's been a busy week and this one took too long, but here we are again.

Hope you like it!

S.-

* * *

><p>"Been caught buying cocaine and other stuff some years ago in Atlanta, managed to get another guy in jail.. looks like he'd gotten himself a good attorney or something", Andrea swallowed and looked up at Daryl. "Rumour is he runs his business from here, just to keep people from suspecting."<p>

"Damn, how did ya find out all that stuff? Andrea, it ain't that we can walk 'roun' askin' everyone if they happen ta know 'im", he told her worryingly.

Andrea rolled her eyes at him. "I know that, Daryl. Shane came to the office this morning and I asked him. Told him you guys were working in his house and that you thought there was something weird about him, nothing more".

"''m sorry, shoulda known ya wouldn'..What else did he say anyway?". He lighted a cigarrete, already nervous about what he might hear.

"He said it was complicated, said every cop in town knew they should keep an eye on him, but that it was all they could do, that it wasn't their job to…you know, initiate further investigations or anything. He also mentioned he knew he didn't treat her wife right, Carol", she glanced at Daryl and let out a breath.

"I don't know Daryl, maybe you should just…", she stopped, but Daryl understood what she was suggesting. "I'm scared now, I'm worried… he even said if he'd known before he would have told me not to work for him". Andrea stood up and paced around the room, avoiding his gaze.

"He knows all that shit yet he won't do nothin' bout it?! Who tha fuck is supposed ta handle 'im if tha cops in town jus' won'´t?" Daryl spat angrily. "I ain't steppin' back Andrea, ya can tell 'im ya won't do tha work, fine by me.. but dontcha tell me ta walk away from this".

But she surprised him by slightly smiling at him.

"You really do care about her, don't you?", she asked him in a complete different tune of voice.

"It ain't jus' that", Daryl said defensively. "I wanna expose that son 'f a bitch for what he is, 's what gotta be done wit' people like 'im". He ducked his head but lifted his eyes to look at her. "I do care 'bout 'er though, pro'bly never cared 'bout any woman this way 'fore".

Andrea walked towards him and patted his shoulder, reaching over him for her purse.

"You're a sweet guy Daryl. It's a good thing she found you." She didn't catch the crooked smile that creeped on his lips. "Can you drop me somewhere downtown?".

"Aren' we supposed ta wait fer Merle?" he asked her, standing up anyway.

"He told me he'd go by himself, stole my car keys too. Never misses a chance of sleeping some extra minutes, that one", she explained, and Daryl snorted as he followed her to his truck.

* * *

><p>"Mornin' there, damn hot mornin' too".<p>

Merle forced a smirk. He'd planned this, getting to the man's house early so that he could take a better look without his brother's warnings. Because unlike Daryl, Merle had had his darker times, and he could figure these type of men out pretty easily. Hell, he'd been surrounded by them most part of his life.

And he needed to know what they were dealing with, because, sooner or later, they were going to have to deal with the man. Even when Andrea thought they shouldn't. Even when, if he'd been in Daryl's shoes, he'd have probably gotten the hell out of there, simply because the number of people he was willing to give a shit about was very limited. But his little brother was one of those people, if not the only one, and he was also a better man than he'd ever be. He knew by now Daryl wasn't going anywhere, so maybe he could use all the shit he'd been into to handle the situation as smoothly as something like this could go.

"Hot morning indeed". The man approached him and they shook hands. "I'm Ed".

"Merle Dixon. Ma brotha's in charge of yer refurbishin', but I'll be comin' ta help some days". He looked behind Ed and saw Carol watching them through the window. "Ain't wanna bother ya but I could use a glass 'f water, tough nigh'yesterday if ya know wha' I mean".

"Dixon?" the chubby man, who actually looked like he couldn't kill a fly asked him, brow raised.

"Dixon", Merle confirmed. "Why ya askin'? know many Dixons aroun?"

"CAROL! Come here and get my man a glass of water, will ya? and don't take all fucking day", the man barked. Merle's jaw clenched but he tried to keep his expression blank as he watched her quickly come out of the door, too embarrassed to make eye contact with him.

"Nice to meet ya darlin'", Merle said nonchalanty, and she gave him a small smile and mumbled something he didn't catch before walking back inside the house. "That's a fine lady yer married ta", he commented.

Ed shrugged. "Most women are, 'til you marry them", he said with a snort. "I trained her well though, never asks questions, always does what I tell her to do. It's how it's supposed to be, huh? she's got food and a damn roof, she owes me".

"Definitely man, gotta pay fer that shit, one way or anotha'", Merle said sarcastically, but it seemed Ed didn't catch the irony in his words because he simply laughed.

"Damn right. Looks like you and I could get along Merle, just let me know if you're up for another tough night these days.. I haven't checked this shitty town's bars lately", the man commented, checking something on his mobile phone.

"Always up fer it man, I can show ya 'round.. know tha best places ta get tha ladies and tha hard stuff", he winked at him and Ed chuckled.

"Told ya, we'll get along", and with that he walked back inside.

* * *

><p>Carol saw Daryl get inside the property the second Ed headed straight upstairs. It had been two days without her seeing him and her heart started to hammer inside her chest, the embarrassment of having seen Merle fading away as she took him in, looking good as always despite his worn clothes, his eyes scanning around, probably looking for her.<p>

She didn't think about it twice and just headed outside. After all, she was supposed to go to the groceries store and she'd heard Ed turn the shower on. And yes, maybe she'd turned reckless lately, but it was the only chance of seeing him she got. It was also that he'd woken up a side of her she'd thought was long gone, and despite the potential or real danger, it still felt good, taking the risk, feeling that she could want and be wanted, that she could love and be loved. Feeling that Ed hadn't taken that away from her.

"Hey there", she told him with a smile, intercepting him on his way in.

He smiled back at her, his thumb touching her cheek lightly. "Been lookin' fer ya, ya been alrite yesterday?"

She nodded. "I missed you though".

"Missed ya too". He turned his head to the side and Carol knew he was checking for people around, but Merle and two other workers were far away and apparently oblivious to their presence. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. "Ya goin' somewhere?"

"Groceries", she said boringly.

"Gonna walk wit' ya to tha gate, gotta take some stuff outta tha truck anyway", he told her, grabbing her arm.

They walked together the few steps out of the house and stopped by his truck, and Carol instantly leaned forward, pulling him in for a short kiss.

"I think he'll be gone this weekend". It was a wish more than a fact but it was also how it'd been lately.

"Can't wait", he answered, encircling her waist with his arms. "I fuckin' hate..", he started saying, but Carol brought her fingers to his mouth to silence him.

"I know", she said, and she replaced her fingers with his mouth and kissed him again. "Doesn't matter now, for now", she whispered on his mouth, feeling her stomach start to tingle and his breath invade her senses. He kissed her back and she smiled at how eager he also seemed to be for her, his tongue sliding between her lips and intruding her mouth, his hands moving to cup her face as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss.

"Damn", he hissed, his face flushed and eyes narrowed. "Hope Friday comes soon". He buried his face on the crook of her neck and placed a soft kiss on her clavicle, but her hand moved to his hair and she brought his head up, her lips crushing against his once more.

"I don't want to wait", she stated, and he fixed his eyes on hers and moved his arm behind him, opening the back of the truck. He silently stepped aside and she crawled inside with no further questions, a smile creeping on her lips when she saw him follow her and shut the door close, his lips instantly back on hers before she could even find a comfortable position, but she couldn't care less. She unconsciously leaned back until her back hit the side wall and he crawled over her, his fingers going down her neck until they reached the line between her breasts, and she searched for her bra and unclasped it, desperate to feel his touch all over her body.

He looked at her with dark eyes and kissed a path down her neck until he reached her cleavage, and she let out a moan when she felt his tongue encircle her nipple, his hand moving up and under her shirt to cup her breast as he worked her out, pulling apart only to move to give the other the same attention. Her legs parted and she threw her head back when she felt his lower body pressed against hers, creating an unbelievable good but exasperating friction.

"Daryl", she moaned, and his mouth found hers again, his tongue swirling with hers as his hand moved down and reached the waistband of her panties. "We gotta stop this Carol", he mumbled, sucking on her earlobe, but the way his hips were pushing against hers and his low, husky voice weren't encouraging her to stop. She unbuttoned his pants and slid the zip down, her hand reaching under his boxers and wrapping around him, his teeth sinking on her collarbone as she slowly began to move her hand up and down his length.

"Fuck", he hissed, taking both her pants and panties down with one hand as he used the other to balance himself over her, tracing her slit with his finger. She moaned and increased her speed, opening her eyes to watch him shut his close. "Yer so fuckin' wet", he whispered on her mouth before sucking on her bottom lip and sliding one finger inside her, which caused her to momentarily stop touching him, her hand landing on her side as she involuntary lifted her hips up.

"Oh, god", she growled when she felt his thumb pressing against her clit, and she arched her back and moved her hand to guide him inside her, but he pulled it apart.

"Ya in a hurry?" he asked her in a low drawl, his eyes fixed on hers as he replaced his thumb with the tip of his length, tracing circles around the sensitive nub down there and sliding it up and down but avoiding to push inside. She tried to answer him but the words didn't come out, so she simply nodded, her hips moving frantically in protest.

"Tell me whatcha want", he whispered over her mouth before kissing her once more and increasing her speed. She felt herself tense against him, waves of pleasure starting to build somewhere in her stomach.

"I want you Daryl, now", she managed to say, and he gave her a crooked smile and positioned himself, entering her so slowly she could feel him filling her inch by inch.

"I'm all yours baby", he told her, burying his head on her shoulder, and she shivered out of his statement. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing herself tighter against him, the angle making her moan a little too loudly, and he leaned to kiss her fiercely, his tongue moving back and forward against her own.

"Keep going", she said in between moans, and he obliged, thrusting and swirling harder and faster into her. An overloaded sensation started to grow in her body and she tensed, her hips lifting up to match his movements and her fingers digging the skin of his shoulders as all her muscles clenched and stretched and a massive wave of overwhelming pleasure began to hit each and every cell of her body. She felt his thrusts become unsteady and the next second he was coming too, his head colliding on her chest right afterwards.

"That was amazing", she said in between breaths, stroking his hair softly. He looked up at her and was half smiling, sweaty locks of hair plastered on his forehead. He looked just adorable and Carol admired how he could go from plain hot and sexual to cute and innocent in one second.

"Damn fuckin' amazin'", he replied lazily, but as if it'd just hit him where they were he stood up quickly, sitting on his knees and putting his boxers and jeans on. She followed him suit, and she knew these were the minutes where they both silently cursed the situation they were in, silently regretted, even, having been reckless even when they'd most likely be doing it again. It was bittersweet, and neither of them wanted to say it aloud because they didn't want to ruin what had just happened, those scarce and short moments in which it was only the two of them.

* * *

><p><em>"Damnit, Ed. What tha hell ya want? It's fuckin' dawn".<em>

_"Easy got some interesting information for ya. But if you're going to be a bitch then I can just hung the fuck up"._

_"Spit it. Better be worth it."_

_"Daryl and Merle Dixon happen to be working on my backyard"._

_"You're fucking shitting me Ed."_

_"Now you listen to me, I don't care what the hell ya do about this, but they are doing a damn fine work in my house, you're gonna wait 'til it's done"._

_"You sure it's Merle and Daryl? Damn. You're positive it's them?"_

_"Didn't even remember their names Jack. The older one, Merle, he's a damn copy of yourself"._

_"Find out where they live"._

_"You going to way til their damn job is done? We got a deal?"_

_"Fuck you, Ed. Just find out where they live. I'll wait. But they better finish that job soon."_


	26. Reckless

Hi you guys. I know it's been quite a long time and I've got no excuses other than life getting busy...  
>I don't like to leave my stories half written and I really enjoy writing this one, so here you go.<p>

S.-

26.

He watched him cup her face with his hands, his lips finding hers and kissing her eagerly, almost lovingly; his body pressed against her own.

Watched his mouth travel to her neck, his hands lingering on the waistband of her jeans and then lifting her shirt up, exposing her stomach. He touched her like he knew her, like he cared and payed attention to what she liked, and she responded to it, her eyes opening and then shutting close, her head back and then buried in his neck.

And it wasn't that he didn't know that the woman he was married to was much better than he ever gave her credit for. It wasn't that he thought she was as disgusting as he told her. It was simply that he'd never cared; that things and people only mattered as long as he could take something from them. And he'd taken things from Carol, most of them against her will, but there was one thing she could never give him and he'd always used it as an excuse to let all that hate out. She would never care for him; she'd always hate him. He'd made damn sure she did. She'd never _be willing _to do anything for him, the same way no one would, as a matter of fact. Whatever people did for him, and they sure as hell did a lot of stuff, was either out of fear, or threats or the ridiculous amounts of money he owned now. And that was more than ok by him; that was the only way it could have been when he'd never had anything other than the capacity of hurting without the slightest of remorses. People condemned men like him, but they did it because they envied it. He may be a son of a bitch, but he'd gotten farther than most of them would ever get. He had what it took to control them, and his wife… she'd finally ended up proving him she was a stupid bitch after all, messing with him in the way he'd told her and showed her she should never dare, so many times; fooling around with a fucking redneck, no less, whom he wanted to crush his boot over right now, as he watched him get on his knees and slid her pants down her legs.

He'd underestimated Carol. Should have been harsher with her. Should have left more marks on her body so that no one would ever feel like taking what was little, but his anyway. Should have gotten rid of her before she started to silently rebel like this. Betray him when all this time he'd given her a damn roof and enough food to fill her body in all the rights parts, now that he watched her from the distance, nude and exposed in a way she'd never been with him. Not by her own will. And she was smiling, the disrespectful bitch. She couldn't stop fucking smiling as she played with a lock of the redneck's hair. He clenched his teeth and grabbed the gun from his back pocket, but dropped his hand to the side. That'd be so quick they wouldn't even realize what was happening, and he didn't want that. He wanted them to suffer, pay for what they've done. He wanted it to be slow and painfull, the way he liked it with people who messed with him. Oh, he loved drinking the regret on his faces as they realized they'd fucked up pretty badly, loved watching their features twist in desperation when it hit them there was no way out.

It was going to have to happen with Jack, eventually. He knew it would. Soon enough it'd be either the old man or him. But he had to admit good old Jack deserved a final treat, and he was quite interested in knowing what he would be capable of doing when he laid his hands over the youngest one, the little bastard who was fucking his own wife in that very moment. He'd heard Jack talking about that revenge more than once. Heard him saying the youngest Dixon had been fucked up since the day he'd been born, spoiled but a mother who couldn't even protect herself from their old man, let alone her children. She'd burned herself, instead of protecting the little one, when Jack had told her he didn't want him in his house. Ed snickered. Just an useless bitch like his own wife, that one, but at least she'd known better than messing with her husband like Carol had decided to do now. It'd been a different story with Merle, as far as he knew. He even had that same look on his eyes, like he had it in himself, what took to be a Dixon. But he'd ended up betraying his own father, opting for his brother instead of sticking by him, instead of becoming his right hand in his business like he'd expected he would. He'd also heard Jack claiming Merle would pay for that, one way or another, before he died. And Ed knew by now, that for people like him and Jack, the opportunity always came up. Now it had come up in a pretty twisted way, but, if anything, it made it even more interesting.

Ed bit his lip until he felt the metallic taste of blood fill his mouth, silently watching them as they got out the truck and looked around, apparently relieved when they decided no one had seen them. He watched the redneck take her hand and squeeze it, leaning to shortly kiss her before turning around and heading back to work, and once more he had to fight the urge of pulling his gun out of his pocket. He couldn't believe the bastard would dare doing this in his own house, laughing at his face instead of thanking him for giving him a more or less decent job. Yes, he understood Jack now. This boy hadn't learnt anything. It was strange, with an old man like Jack, that he hadn't learnt there were people he better obeyed or simply stayed away from. Oh, he would make sure he learnt that lesson. All he had to do was come up with the right plan.

"Yow, boy, get over here, will ya?", he shouted from his front yard.

The youngest Dixon stopped on his tracks and seemed to consider it for a few seconds, before heading towards him, lighting a cigarette on his way.

"Ya seen my woman anywhere?", he asked him, trying to suppress a smirk.

"Huh, nope. Ain't seen her today". He was a good liar, just like his old man, although he noticed his nostrils flare.

"Ya don't know you gotta look at people in the eye, when you talk to them?" He figured he'd at least play with him a bit, make him a little nervous.

"Not if I don't got no reason to", he told him back, his brow raising defiantly.

His fists clenched but he heard steps behind him, and when he turned around he watched Carol standing next to the front door, her arms crossed around her chest. What, was she going to stand up for him and defend him now?

"Were you looking for me?" she asked, and he put his best smile on and walked towards her, his arm snaking around her shoulder. He could feel her heart racing under her chest, and it made him only hold her tighter.

"Was lookin' for you indeed, darling. It's Friday night, just figured you don't have to cook anything. We're going out, just a little night out", he lifted his head and fixed his eyes on Daryl, whose features had disfigured even when it was evident he was trying to hide it. "Just you and me, sweetheart, and maybe we can have some time in our bedroom when we get back".

He felt her tense but she just nodded slightly, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"As for you boy, you get the rest of the day off. Go get yourself a beer, maybe a woman too?" he said with a snicker. "Go home, we're gonna be busy here".

"Ain't finished yet", Daryl said sharply, crushing the cigarette butt with the heel of his boot.

"And I said I don't care. Just go home, or wherever it is that you live. You deaf or something? I said you're done here". He let go of Carol and stepped forward, ignoring the gasp he heard coming out of her mouth.

"An' I said I wasn' done, but alrite, I'm gonna go home", he replied, now boldly staring at Carol, who was still standing next to him.

"You gotta learn not to question your boss, boy. And you go inside, woman", he barked. "Put on something nice for yer husband". He smirked at Daryl one more time and turned around, grabbing her arm and taking her inside with him, the door closing behind them with a loud bang and the smirk still plastered on his face.


End file.
